Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy A Patient Perspective

Affecting approximately one in every 500 people, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a unique disease in which there is an abnormal increase in the thickness of the heart muscle. Although the cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was unknown in the past, it is now recognized that people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy have a gene mutation that causes this abnormality. Most people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are relatively asymptomatic and able to maintain a normal lifestyle, but there are some who become severely limited by symptoms of shortness of breath and chest pain. There is also a small number of people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who may die suddenly. However, proper diagnosis and treatment of this disorder can relieve symptoms and prolong life.