Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a common inherited cardiovascular disease present in one in 500 of the general population. It is caused by more than 1400 mutations in 11 or more genes encoding proteins of the cardiac sarcomere. Although hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most frequent cause of sudden death in young people (including trained athletes), and can lead to functional disability from heart failure and stroke, the majority of affected individuals probably remain undiagnosed and many do not experience greatly reduced life expectancy or substantial symptoms. Clinical diagnosis is based on otherwise unexplained left-ventricular hypertrophy identified by echocardiography or cardiovascular MRI. While presenting with a heterogeneous clinical profile and complex pathophysiology, effective treatment strategies are available, including implantable defibrillators to prevent sudden death, drugs and surgical myectomy (or, alternatively, alcohol septal ablation) for relief of outflow obstruction and symptoms of heart failure, and pharmacological strategies (and possibly radiofrequency ablation) to control atrial fibrillation and prevent embolic stroke. A subgroup of patients with genetic mutations but without left-ventricular hypertrophy has emerged, with unresolved natural history. Now, after more than 50 years, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has been transformed from a rare and largely untreatable disorder to a common genetic disease with management strategies that permit realistic aspirations for restored quality of life and advanced longevity.