With the right care for your hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), you can lead a full life. Even though this lifelong condition can progress over time, regular check-ups and tests can help you stay healthy. And treatment can help you prevent other health issues.
What Is HCM and How Do Doctors Treat It?
HCM is a form of heart disease that causes your heart muscle to thicken. “Hypertrophic” means something has grown larger than it should be. “Cardiomyopathy” is a group of conditions that can impact your heart muscle.
There are two types of HCM: obstructive and nonobstructive. Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, or HOCM, is the most common type. The condition can thicken your septum inside your heart — the wall that divides your heart into its left and right sides.
HCM lessens the amount of space available for your heart’s left chamber (ventricle) to pump blood. And that can cause symptoms for some people.
You and your doctor will work together to create a treatment plan for your HOCM. Each plan is tailored to your specific symptoms and overall health.
Another part of this plan is keeping an eye on your condition. There may be no cure, but your doctor can offer treatments and help you watch for any changes. That way, you and your doctor can spot problems before they affect your health.
Routine Visits With Your Cardiologist
How often you’ll need to follow up with your cardiologist depends on your symptoms, age, and how serious your condition is.
If you have HOCM but no symptoms
HOCM doesn’t always cause symptoms. But even if you feel fine, it's still a good idea to check in with your doctor. Experts suggest having the following tests:
- A physical exam, electrocardiogram (ECG), and echocardiogram every one to two years.
- A 24-hour Holter monitor test every one to two years, or every six months if your upper left heart chamber (atrium) is enlarged. Your chance of stroke rises sharply if your atrium is larger than 45 millimeters .
At each visit, your cardiologist should also recheck whether you need:
- An ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator), which helps stop unexpected death from a heart issue (sudden cardiac death)
- Blood thinners, or medication to avoid a stroke
If you have HOCM symptoms or obstruction
If HOCM causes symptoms or blocks blood flow, you’ll need to see your doctor more often, about every three to six months.
They’ll check:
- How well your medications are working
- Whether you need a procedure like an alcohol septal ablation to thin your thickened heart tissue
- If you need surgery such as a septal reduction or a myectomy to remove part of your thickened septal wall
If you do have a procedure, your doctor could suggest an ECG, echocardiogram, and Holter monitoring at three months and again at six to 12 months.
You may also need imaging of your heart (a cardiac MRI) every two to three years, especially if your symptoms get worse. The test can also help doctors figure out if you need an ICD, which is a small, implantable device that measures your heart rhythm around the clock.
Screening and Genetic Testing for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy often runs in families (genetic), meaning you got the gene from your mother or father. Genetic testing looks at a small blood or saliva sample to find gene changes that cause HCM.
Finding the specific HCM gene change can guide your treatment. Consider telling other family members, too. They may also want to get tested to see if they’re at risk for the condition.
If you have the gene change for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, your children, parents, and siblings each have a 50% chance of having it too. That’s because it only takes one copy of the gene to be passed down from a parent.
If you have the gene for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, you have a risk for symptoms later in life. So your doctor will screen you for the condition using an ECG and echocardiogram.
Serious health problems before puberty are rare, and experts suggest beginning screening around 10 to 12 years old and yearly after that. Once you’re fully grown, adults are usually screened every three to five years.
Genetic counseling is also part of this process. A genetic counselor can answer questions and help you understand what your testing means. They’ll also discuss what this means with any relatives who might also be affected.
Taking Charge of Your Health
Getting ahead of your health, being proactive, can also help you monitor your HOCM.
Show Sources
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SOURCES:
Cleveland Clinic: “Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy,” “Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG),” “Echocardiogram,” “Holter Monitor.”
Penn Medicine: “Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.”
Global Cardiology Science & Practice: “Follow-up and prognosis of HCM.”
American College of Cardiology: “Your action plan for managing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).”
Johns Hopkins: “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the Heart.”
Mayo Clinic: “Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.”
BMC Primary Care: “Patient participation in self-monitoring regarding healthcare of heart failure: an integrated systematic review.”
American Heart Association: “Genetic Testing for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.”
