Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

What is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease in which the muscular walls of your heart are thick, which impairs your heart function and blood flow. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy affects patients of all ages and is a leading cause of premature death in young athletes.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy usually affects the wall that separates the lower chambers or ventricles of your heart. This reduces the amount of blood your ventricles can hold and pump out of your heart with every beat.

In many cases, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy doesn’t cause any symptoms until it leads to a severe cardiac event, such as a heart attack or sudden cardiac death. The team at Coastal Heart Medical Group recommends that everyone has occasional heart function testing, especially if you have a family history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

This condition can lead to other cardiovascular complications, including atrial fibrillation, obstructed blood flow, mitral valve problems, and dilated cardiomyopathy.

What causes hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is inherited. If one of your parents or grandparents had the condition, your chances of developing thickened heart muscles increases.

How is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy diagnosed?

The team at Coastal Heart Medical Group typically diagnoses hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with an echocardiogram. An echocardiogram is a special ultrasound that creates images of your heart and shows the blood flowing in and out of your heart chambers. If your blood flow is impaired because of thickened heart muscle or if your heart muscles become weakened due to the condition, your echocardiogram will show your doctor the precise location of the thickened heart tissue as well as the extent of your cardiac impairment.

How is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy treated?

Coastal Heart Medical Group offers customized treatments to address hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Depending on the extent of your condition and symptoms, your doctor may prescribe medications to relax your heart and slow your heartbeat, helping your heart to work more efficiently. They may also prescribe a blood thinner to reduce your risk of blood clots.

In some cases, you may need a surgical procedure to remove part of the overgrown heart muscle to improve your blood flow and decrease mitral regurgitation. Alternatively, you may benefit from an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, which continuously monitors your heartbeat and provides a calibrated electrical pulse to restore your heart rhythm.

If you have a family history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or concerns about your heart health, call Coastal Heart Medical Group or make an appointment online today.