Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Challenging the Status Quo?

Heart Lung Circ. 2020 Apr;29(4):556-565. doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2019.12.005. Epub 2019 Dec 27.

Abstract

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common cardiovascular genetic disorder. While our mechanistic understanding has been informed by elegant gene discovery studies that led to the term "disease of the sarcomere", more recent investigations have challenged the single-gene hypothesis. Multimodality imaging has allowed better phenotyping to facilitate early diagnosis, identify treatable phenocopies, and guide management. While HCM remains an important cause of sudden death, recent studies have reported a substantial cumulative burden of heart failure and atrial fibrillation in middle-aged and older individuals. Nonetheless, improvements in risk stratification have allowed early intervention to transition HCM from being a common cause of sudden death in the young to a treatable chronic disease.

Keywords: Cardiomyopathy; Genetic; Hypertrophic; Imaging.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Atrial Fibrillation* / diagnosis
  • Atrial Fibrillation* / genetics
  • Atrial Fibrillation* / mortality
  • Atrial Fibrillation* / therapy
  • Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic* / diagnosis
  • Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic* / genetics
  • Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic* / mortality
  • Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic* / therapy
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac*
  • Female
  • Genetic Diseases, Inborn / diagnosis
  • Genetic Diseases, Inborn / genetics
  • Genetic Diseases, Inborn / mortality
  • Genetic Diseases, Inborn / therapy
  • Heart Failure* / diagnosis
  • Heart Failure* / genetics
  • Heart Failure* / mortality
  • Heart Failure* / therapy
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged