HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY

(HCM)Mariela, Lisa, Isaiah and Michelle

Relevant Terms

• Cardiomyopathy- a heart muscle disease• Arrhythmia- Abnormal heart rhythms• Hypertrophied- to be thickened

HYPERTROPHIC OBSTRUCTIVE CARDIOMYOPATHY (HOCM)

IDIOPATHIC HYPERTROPHIC SUBAORTIC STENOSIS (IHSS)

Other Names

Things to Know About The Heart

• The general function of the heart is to pump out blood to the body.

• The right side of the heart consists of the right atrium, the tricuspid valve and the right ventricle.

• Deoxygenated blood enters through the right side.

• Then it travels through the pulmonary semi lunar valve into the lungs.

• Now it is oxygenated blood.

Things to Know - Continued

• The blood then travels back into the heart through the left pulmonary veins.

• Then it travels through the left atrium, bicuspid valve and the left ventricle.

• Then it goes through the aortic semi lunar valve and out through the aorta.

• Now the blood is distributed throughout the body.

What is HCM?• The irregular

growth/thickening of the heart muscle, it affects the main blood pumping muscle

• The more thick it becomes, the heart stiffens and the pumping chamber shrinks

• The thickening interferes with the hearts capability to deliver blood to the body

myocardium

Jesse Marunde• International Strongman

competitor• He collapsed July 25,

2007 after a training session

• After his workout, his breathing became labored. He became disjointed and stopped breathing

• He died at the age of 27 because of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Normal heart vs. Hypertrophied heart

Inheritance/Causes of HCM

• It is usually inherited, so it develops when you are a child• It is seen in all ages but it is more severe when you

inherit it as a child• It also may develop because of high blood pressure or

aging• Otherwise the causes are unknown • There are two ways of inheritance:• 60-70% of people develop hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

by inheriting a gene that predisposes them to the disease

• Another way is called a sporadic case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is not inherited from either parent

Risk Factors of HCM

• Drop in blood pressure during exercise• Family history of cardiac arrest• History of unexplained fainting• Life-threatening heart rhythms• Severe heart muscle thickness• History of arrhythmia with fast heart rate

Maintaining HCM

• Lifestyle changes• Fluid and sodium restrictions: If heart failure

symptoms are present. Alcohol and caffeine may need to be restricted

• Exercise: Noncompetitive aerobic activities. Heavy weight lifting and high-intensity sports are not recommended

• Regular follow-up visits: Patients must follow up with their doctor on a regular basis to monitor it

Symptoms of HCM

• Chest pain or pressure that occurs after or during exercise, rest or after meals

• Shortness of breath and fatigue• Syncope (fainting)• Palpitations (fluttering in the

chest)• Light-headedness • Dizziness• Sensation of feeling the

heartbeat• Patients may not have

symptoms; sudden collapsing or death may occur• This is most likely to happen to

young patients

Diagnosis

• It depends on your medical history. A doctor will ask you about your symptoms and family history

• When a doctor gives a physical exam they will listen to your heart, people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy generally have a heart murmur

• Echocardiogram, blood tests, electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, exercise stress echo test, 24-hour Holter Monitor(heart monitor), cardiac catheterization and MRIs are tests used to find it

Treatment

• The treatment depends on the following:• Narrowing in the outlet tract (path blood

leaves heart)• Hearts functioning• Age and level of activity of patient• Presence of arrhythmias• Treatment is used to reduce symptoms and

prevent heart failure and cardiac death. A patient may need to stay in the hospital until they are stable.

Treatment- Continued

• Medications used are beta-blockers and calcium blockers

• If people have arrhythmias they will have to take anti-arrhythmic medications

• Pacemakers are sometimes used• If blood flow is severely blocked than surgical

myectomy is done to remove the thickest part• Implantable-cardioverter defibrillator may be

needed to prevent sudden death

Complications People with HCM who have a higher risk for sudden cardiac

death include: Patients who have a family history of sudden cardiac death Young patients who have had several episodes of syncope

(fainting) Patients who experience an abnormal blood pressure

response with exercise Patients who have a history of arrhythmia with a fast heart

rate Patients with severe symptoms and poor heart function

Heart failure may develop if the disease progresses the heart's lower chambers are not able to pump blood

effectively enough to meet the body's needs for oxygen and nutrients

Atrial fibrillation is a common complication of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy interferes with the normal pumping of the heart cause blood clots to develop in the heart, which can break off

and travel through the bloodstream (systemic embolism) may cause a stroke, heart attack, or blocked blood flow to an

arm or leg.

Stats

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy affects an estimated 600,000 to 1.5 million Americans, or one in 500 people or 0.20%.

It is more prevalent than multiple sclerosis, which affects one in 700 people.

544,000 people in USA have HCM. About 50% of patients with hypertrophic

cardiomyopathy will have a first-degree relative who also has the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Sources

• http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/cardiomyopathy/DS00519/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print

• http://tnation.tmuscle.com/free_online_forum/sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding_strength/jesse_marunde_autopsy_findings

• http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/disorders/hcm/default.aspx

• http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000192.htm#Causes,%20incidence,%20and%20risk%20factors

• WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise (2006,18,12). Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - symptoms. Retrieved July 12, 2009, from www.webmd.com Web site: http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/tc/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy-symptoms