While many people may not be familiar with HCM, it is the most common inherited heart disease. Find out who might be at risk, how it affects the heart, and the key differences between the two types of HCM.
HCM can affect people of any age, gender, or ethnicity.
The heart is a muscle that pumps oxygen around the body by contracting and relaxing. In HCM, the heart muscle becomes thickened and stiff. Depending on where and how much the heart muscle thickens, it can reduce the amount of oxygen-rich blood that is pumped out to the rest of the body, resulting in symptoms of HCM.i
HCM causes the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber, to thicken. Over time, the ventricle becomes stiffer, making it harder for the heart to fill with and pump blood.
Select the tabs below to learn how a heart with HCM is affected.
The heart is a muscle that pumps blood around the body by contracting and relaxing.
The heart with HCM may have difficulty pumping blood around the body. As a result, those with HCM can experience a lack of energy, a fast heartbeat, chest pain, or other symptoms.
* Image represents non-obstructive HCM.
The heart is a muscle that pumps blood around the body by contracting and relaxing.
The heart with HCM may have difficulty pumping blood around the body. As a result, those with HCM can experience a lack of energy, a fast heartbeat, chest pain, or other symptoms.
* Image represents non-obstructive HCM.
The heart is a muscle that pumps blood around the body by contracting and relaxing.
The heart with HCM may have difficulty pumping blood around the body. As a result, those with HCM can experience a lack of energy, a fast heartbeat, chest pain, or other symptoms.
* Image represents non-obstructive HCM.
The heart is a muscle that pumps blood around the body by contracting and relaxing.
The heart with HCM may have difficulty pumping blood around the body. As a result, those with HCM can experience a lack of energy, a fast heartbeat, chest pain, or other symptoms.
* Image represents non-obstructive HCM.
*Image represents non-obstructive HCM.i,iv
There are two types of HCM, non-obstructive and obstructive. While both cause thickening of the heart walls, obstructive HCM can result in a thicker wall that obstructs or limits blood flow from the heart.
The tabs below show the differences between the two types of HCM.
HCM can lead to serious complications including heart failure, atrial fibrillation (AFib) which increases the risk of blood clots, stroke, and, in rare cases, sudden cardiac death (SCD).i
HCM is one of the most common inherited heart diseases associated with SCD, particularly in young individuals aged 1 to 35.v
The provided list of symptoms may not be complete and experiencing these symptoms does not necessarily indicate that you have HCM. Only a qualified medical professional can offer an accurate diagnosis.
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References:
i Cardiomyopathy UK, (2022). Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Factsheet. Available at: https://www.cardiomyopathy.org/sites/default/files/2022-02/Hypertrophic%20cardiomyopathy%20factsheet%20January%202022.pdf. Last Accessed April 2024.
ii British Heart Foundation, (2021). Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Available at: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/conditions/cardiomyopathy/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy
*Canadian statistic is from the BMS Canada-approved symptom tracker.
iv Prinz C, et al., (2011). The Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 108(13): 209–215. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3078548/
v Lynge, TH et al. (2024) Autopsy of all young sudden death cases is important to increase survival in family members left behind, EP Europace, Volume 26, Issue 6, June 2024, euae128. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/europace/euae128
vi https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33861535/ and https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy
