The Health Risks of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a primarily hereditary heart condition that doesn’t always cause symptoms. However, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taken seriously. Some health risks of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can be life threatening.

What is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?

HCM is a condition that is often inherited from your family. This condition generally causes muscle tissue in the heart to become abnormally thick. In some cases, it can even block or reduce the amount of blood that can leave the heart with each beat. Even if it doesn’t block blood flow, it can reduce the volume of blood that the heart chambers are able to hold.

What are the health risks of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?

Reduced blood flow

HCM can negatively affect blood flow. Healthy blood flow helps support many aspects of your health. Blood helps carry oxygen and nutrients to all the tissues in your body, which helps them function. 

Due to the reduced blood flow, people with HCM may experience fatigue, reduced stamina, and shortness of breath. This is especially noticeable in young athletes, who may experience reduced stamina and trouble keeping up with their teammates.

Irregular heartbeat

Some people with HCM also develop abnormal heart rhythms, known as arrhythmias. This may feel like fluttering or racing heartbeats. This can lead to dizziness, fainting, and cardiac arrest. In fact, arrhythmias are one of the biggest risk factors for sudden cardiac death from HCM.

Cardiac arrest

Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly stops pumping. This means all your organs (including your brain) stop receiving the blood flow they need to function. Cardiac arrest may cause loss of consciousness, lack of breathing and a pulse, and unresponsiveness. Without rapid treatment), it can cause death within minutes.

Heart failure

HCM is one of the causes of heart failure, which means the heart isn’t functioning as well as it should. Over time, the strain of living with HCM can weaken the heart muscle. Heart failure related to HCM is associated with a stiffened heart, fluid buildup, and worsening of shortness of breath.

Stroke

Another life-threatening health risk of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is stroke. A stroke is an interruption of blood flow to the brain, leading to the death of brain cells in the affected area. 

The risk of stroke increases in people who also have an arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). Heart failure itself is also a major risk factor for stroke.

Can early detection of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy reduce risks?

Knowing if you have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is important for several reasons. “The main reason for [early diagnosis] is so we can know if you're one of these people who do need a defibrillator just to help prevent that risk of sudden death,” says Sirish Vullaganti, MD, Cardiologist at Northwell Health.

“We're also learning more and more about certain medications that might be helpful to prevent the progression of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,” says Dr. Vullaganti.

Finally, it’s important to remember that HCM runs in families. If you have HCM, you can alert your family members to get screened as well. This can help them learn their status and start treatment if necessary.