Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is part of the heart and vascular care medical specialty, and it refers to impaired heart function associated with abnormally thick heart muscle in the absence of other heart disease; e.g., valvular heart disease. Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is a subtype of HCM, where the wall (septum) between the two bottom chambers of the heart thickens. The walls of the pumping chamber can also become stiff. The thickened septum may cause a narrowing that can block or reduce the blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta, which is a condition called “outflow tract obstruction.”
At UF Health, our interdisciplinary HCM team consists of interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists, heart failure specialists, imaging specialists and cardiac surgeons who work together to streamline the evaluation and management of HCM. Comprehensive evaluations and treatment options are offered to address the needs of HCM patients.
Both HCM and HOCM may be caused by heart muscle gene mutation, which may be inherited. As such, multiple family members may be affected by HCM and HOCM. Phenotypic expression of the gene mutation may be variable. In other words, even with the same gene mutation, the severity of heart function impairment may vary between affected patients.
Symptoms
Symptoms associated with HCM may vary in severity and character as well, including:
Advanced evaluation modalities include echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, cardiac CTA, cardiac MRI, stress testing, genetic testing/counseling and risk assessment. Advanced treatment options include pharmacotherapy, pacemaker, defibrillator, alcohol septal ablation, and surgical myectomy and advanced heart failure therapy.