Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an inherited genetic condition where the heart muscle walls become abnormally thick, particularly in the left ventricle. This thickening makes the inside of the left ventricle smaller and stiffer, making it harder for the heart to pump blood effectively.
Key characteristics of HCM
- Show Full Answer
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an inherited genetic condition where the heart muscle walls become abnormally thick, particularly in the left ventricle. This thickening makes the inside of the left ventricle smaller and stiffer, making it harder for the heart to pump blood effectively.
Key characteristics of HCM:
- Caused by gene mutations affecting heart muscle proteins
- Usually inherited
- Can develop during childhood
- May not cause symptoms until later in life
- Often triggered during exercise
- Affects about 1 in 500 people Common symptoms of HCM include:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Dizziness or fainting
- Heart palpitations
- Irregular heartbeat
- Fatigue
It's important to note that some people with HCM may not experience any symptoms at all, while others may develop serious complications like heart failure or cardiac arrest.
July 17, 2025
This leads to another question, when I go in the search option, and enter "ischemic cardiomyopathy", the list comes back showing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and other topics, which is different from ischemic cardiomyopathy. Is this the standard glitch in the search engines?
July 17, 2025 (edited)