What is hcm heart condition

When you have HCM, these cells become disorganised and form uneven layers. This causes the muscle of your heart to thicken and become stiffer. It can also scar the heart muscle. This stiffness and scarring can stop your heart from pumping properly and lead to rhythm disorders.

HCM usually affects the walls of the lower left chamber of the heart the left ventricle. This means less oxygen-rich blood is pumped around the body. Most people with HCM have normal coronary arteries and valves. However the condition sometimes affects the mitral valve , causing blood to leak backwards through it. Changes can also occur in the damaged heart muscle that may trigger problems with the heart's electrical signals, causing an irregular heart beat arrhythmia.

In around one in four people with HCM, the thickening of the heart muscle causes an obstruction which reduces the blood flow from the heart to the body. This is called hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy HOCM. People without this obstruction may sometimes have their condition referred to as hypertrophic non-obstructive cardiomyopathy HNCM.

If you have HCM, your first-degree relatives parents, brothers, sisters or children may want to consider screening for the condition. Some people with HCM have no symptoms and their condition may go undiagnosed for a long time. Usually the condition is picked up in adolescence or adulthood. These complications include:. In many cases HCM is picked up as a heart murmur at routine check-ups, or as a result of screening for another condition.

Some people may be referred for genetic testing, which involves a simple blood test that is sent away to a laboratory for DNA testing. Genetic testing for HCM may be useful for family screening, but should be done with pre-testing advice and within a specialised cardiac genetics service, such as the Cardiac Inherited Disease Group.

There are a range of medications and procedures available. Your doctor will discuss your options with you. Medication is often prescribed to reduce the amount of work your heart has to do and to relieve your symptoms. Common HCM medications include:.

Your physician will listen for certain sounds with a stethoscope. For example, the loudness, timing and location of a heart murmur may suggest obstructive HCM. Diagnosis is typically done by echocardiogram. It checks the thickness of the heart muscle and blood flow from the heart. In some cases, another type of echocardiogram, transesophageal echo or TEE , may be performed.

A TEE is done using a probe inserted in the throat while the patient is under sedation. Other diagnostic tests may include:. Confirming diagnosis or preparing for surgery may also involve one or more medical procedures including:. There are currently no disease-specific medications for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. For those with symptoms, the focus is on symptom management using medications and procedures.

Medications called beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and diuretics offer limited and varying relief of symptoms. They may help with function but may also have adverse side effects. Download our printable information sheets: What is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy? Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisers.

See our editorial policies and staff. Cardiomyopathy in Adults. Pediatric Cardiomyopathies. Understand Your Risk for Cardiomyopathy. Symptoms and Diagnosis of Cardiomyopathy. Prevention and Treatment of Cardiomyopathy.

HCM Personal Stories. It is estimated that 1 in every adults living in the U. Which of your patients is undiagnosed? Our online community of survivors and caregivers is here to keep you going no matter the obstacles. What is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy?

Signs and symptoms of HCM include: Chest pain, especially with physical exertion Shortness of breath, especially with physical exertion Fatigue Arrhythmias abnormal heart rhythms Dizziness Lightheadedness Fainting syncope Swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen and veins in the neck HCM is a chronic disease that can get worse over time.

An abnormality in or shortage of any one of these proteins may impair the function of the sarcomere, disrupting normal cardiac muscle contraction. Research shows that, in affected individuals, contraction and relaxation of the heart muscle is abnormal, even before hypertrophy develops.

However, it is not clear how these contraction problems are related to hypertrophy or the symptoms of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This condition is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern , which means one copy of the altered gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the disorder. Rarely, both copies of the gene are altered, leading to more severe signs and symptoms.

Genetics Home Reference has merged with MedlinePlus. Learn more. The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health. Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. From Genetics Home Reference.

Description Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a heart condition characterized by thickening hypertrophy of the heart cardiac muscle. Frequency Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy affects an estimated 1 in people worldwide. Inheritance This condition is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern , which means one copy of the altered gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the disorder.

In most cases, an affected person has one parent with the condition. Other Names for This Condition Familial asymmetric septal hypertrophy HCM Hereditary ventricular hypertrophy Heritable hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis.

Research Studies from ClinicalTrials. Molecular genetics of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy FHC. J Hum Genet. Mechanisms of disease: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.