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.

Ted Abraham, MD, explains ASE efforts to increase HCM education and standardization of care. #HCM #ASE #ASE23 #ASE2023

All eyes are on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy now that a drug treatment is in place

Ted Abraham, MD, explained why HCM has entered the limelight at recent cardiology conferences, including ASE 2023.

mavacamten

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.

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‘Surprising’ trends in ICD use among HCM patients

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

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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.