Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

WHAT IS IT?

• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is when the heart muscle enlarges and becomes very thick without much of a cause.

WHAT HAPPENS?

• Usually the ventricles, which are the lower chambers of the heart, and the septum, the wall that separates the left and right side of the heart become thick. The thickened areas create narrowing or blockages in the ventricles, making it harder for the heart to pump blood.

It affects men and women equally, and about 1 out of every 500 people has the disease, and it's usually inherited. It’s caused by a mutation or change in some of the genes in heart muscle proteins. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy can also develop over time because of high blood pressure, aging, or other diseases like diabetes or thyroid disease. Sometimes the cause of the disease isn’t really known.

Treatment for this really depends on whether there is narrowing in the path that blood takes to leave the heart, how the heart is functioning, and if arrhythmias are present. Treatment is mostly aimed at preventing symptoms and complications and not actually stopping the disease.

EXAMPLES

• Beta Blockers: It can treat high blood pressure, chest pain (angina), and uneven heartbeat (atrial fibrillation). It can also treat tremors and proliferating infantile hemangioma. In addition, it can prevent migraine headaches.
• Verapamil :It can treat high blood pressure, severe angina, and arrhythmia.

HCM is diagnosed based on medical history such as your symptoms and family history, a physical examination, and echocardiogram results. There may be additional tests that include blood tests, electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, exercise stress test, CT scan, and a MRI. There aren't really any medications for this disease.

If you feel like you may have to big of a heart. Show no love and head to your nearest doctor now!

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