Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) causes the walls of the left ventricle to become thicker than normal. This can cause a blockage to blood flow in some patient and is classified as obstructive HCM. This is the most common form of HCM where the septum between the ventricles can reduce the blood flow into the aorta. Nonobstructive HCM is where the heart muscle is thickened but does not block blood flow. The thickened walls stiffen and reduce the amount of blood the heart can pump. HCM is usually caused by an inherited genetic variant (familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) and can be detected with genetic testing and diagnosed with medical imaging. It is considered widely underdiagnosed. HCM can lead to heart failure and sudden cardiac arrest. Treatments include drug therapy, septal myectomy and alcohol septal ablation.

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The projected number of acquired cardiomyopathy cases are expected to greatly outpace the number of new familial cardiomyopathy cases by 2031 in the U.S., driven mainly by poor lifestyles. This is expected to have a big impact on healthcare.

U.S. expected to see large rise in cardiomyopathy cases over next decade

“Even if we compensate for the differences in population size, the U.S. is still miles ahead when it comes to total cardiomyopathy cases," explained Walter Gabriel, MPH, an epidemiologist and analyst on the report.

July 7, 2022
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FDA approves mavacamten for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

The FDA’s approval was based on data from the EXPLORER-HCM trial, which showed that mavacamten was superior to a placebo for treating obstructive HCM and associated with no significant long-term, treatment-related adverse events.

May 2, 2022

‘Surprising’ trends in ICD use among HCM patients

ICD use among this patient population is slowly growing, but some key disparities remain.

December 8, 2021

American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology share updated guidance on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

The two groups emphasized the importance of shared decision-making and detailed when patients can consider competitive sports. 

November 20, 2020
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Building Programs for Overlooked Patients

In the era of the Quadruple Aim, there’s no shortage of studies, media coverage and commentary on how our healthcare systems may be overusing resources.

July 9, 2018
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