If you’re living with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), eating a heart-healthy diet can reduce the risk of disease progression and help you feel your best. HCM is a cardiovascular disease that causes the heart muscle to thicken. It often affects the septum and left ventricle, making it difficult for the heart to pump blood.

Although medication and surgery are common treatments for HCM, your cardiologist may also recommend lifestyle changes that support heart health. Their suggestions may vary based on your diagnosis, treatment goals, physical activity, and overall health.

Before making any changes to your diet, talk with your doctor to make sure you’re eating the right foods for your specific situation. Here are five tips to help guide your conversation.

1. Stay Hydrated

Water is essential to life. It helps digestion, regulates your body temperature, lubricates your joints, and more. It also helps your heart pump approximately 2,000 gallons of blood every day.

If your body doesn’t have enough water, your heart has to work harder, which can cause it to beat faster. According to the American College of Cardiology, dehydration can also cause or worsen some symptoms of HCM, which include dizziness and shortness of breath. You can help your heart do its job by staying hydrated and providing it with the fluids it needs to function.

If you do an Internet search for “How much water should I drink?” you will likely see the standard recommendation of eight glasses of water per day. However, this number does not account for your age, weight, activity levels, and other factors. Some people need more water, while others need less. Ask your doctor how much water you should be drinking and follow their instructions.

Other Hydration Options

Most of your fluids should come from water, but other foods and beverages can also help you stay hydrated. Examples include:

• Sparkling water (without added sugar, salt, or caffeine)
• Herbal teas
• Milk
• Juice
• Watermelon
• Spinach
• Cucumbers
• Soups and broths
• Sugar-free popsicles

Sports drink manufacturers often market their beverages as hydration aids, but many contain too much sodium (salt) and sugar. Avoid sports drinks unless your doctor recommends them.

2. Eat a Healthy Diet

HCM is a hereditary disease, meaning you can inherit it from your parents and pass it on to your children. Although genetics cause most cases of HCM, you can give your heart extra support by making healthy diet and nutrition choices.

Genetics cause most cases of HCM, but you can give your heart extra support by making healthy diet and nutrition choices.

Heart-healthy foods help your heart function at its best. People living with HCM should focus on foods that won’t contribute to high blood pressure, increased heart rate, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity, all of which can force the heart to work harder to maintain a healthy blood flow.

Here are some basic tips for a heart-healthy diet:

• Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Choose lean meats, fish, and skinless chicken.
• Measure and control portion sizes.

Consult a dietitian or talk to your doctor if you need help creating a heart-healthy meal plan.

Heart-Healthy Foods

You may know that you should eat whole grains, proteins, and lean meats, but what does that mean? Here are some examples of heart-healthy foods:

• Fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits
• Low-sodium canned vegetables
• Whole-grain bread
• High-fiber cereal
• Brown rice
• Oatmeal
• Whole-grain pasta
• Quinoa
• Lentils
• Beans, such as garbanzo, kidney, or pinto
• Fish, such as salmon, tuna, or mackerel
• Chicken (skinless)
• Nonfat or low-fat milk or yogurt
• Eggs
• Soybeans and soy products, such as tofu or tempeh
• Nuts, such as almonds or cashews

An HCM diagnosis doesn’t mean you have to eat a bland diet. There are lots of heart-healthy foods and recipes you can try. In addition to supporting your heart, eating well can help you maintain a healthy weight.

An HCM diagnosis doesn’t mean you have to eat a bland diet. There are lots of heart-healthy foods and recipes you can try.

Meal Planning

When you’re having a busy day, it can be tempting to reach for less healthy options, like fast food or a candy bar. But with a little planning and preparation, you may find that making healthy dietary choices is easier than you thought.

Here are some meal-planning tips to consider:

• Make a list of your favorite healthy recipes.
• Create a heart-healthy shopping list.
• Wash and chop fresh vegetables before storing them in the refrigerator.
• Fill a bowl with apples, oranges, bananas, and other grab-and-go fruits.
• Keep shelf-stable snacks like nuts and seeds in your office, car, or purse.
• Prepare healthy soups and casseroles on the weekends and prepackage them for weekday lunches.
• Stock your freezer with healthy frozen foods like broccoli, spinach, peas, and green beans.

3. Avoid Salt, Sugar, and Saturated Fats

Just as some foods support heart health, others can clog your arteries, raise your blood pressure, and make it harder for your heart to work well. With HCM, your heart may already be working harder. In some people, narrowing can also limit how much blood flows from the left ventricle to the aorta. By cutting out or limiting certain foods, you can reduce extra strain on your heart and help it work more efficiently.

Salt

Consuming too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease. Canned and processed foods, like soups, baked goods, and frozen foods, are often high in sodium. Read food labels to track how much salt you are eating from prepared foods. You can also reduce the amount of salt you sprinkle on your meals or add while cooking.

Sugar

Sugar can affect your heart health. Too much sugar can lead to high blood pressure, inflammation, and fatty liver disease, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke. Although fruits, vegetables, and other foods with natural sugars are OK to eat, you should keep food and beverages with added sugars to a minimum. This includes soft drinks, flavored yogurt, condiments, and most processed foods.

Saturated Fat

Saturated fat can lead to higher cholesterol levels, increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke. Limit or reduce your intake of animal-based foods like beef, pork, and full-fat dairy products. Tropical oils like coconut and palm also contain saturated fats.

4. Limit Alcohol

Excessive alcohol consumption has been linked to high blood pressure, heart failure, and stroke. It can also lead to weight gain, which can worsen the symptoms of HCM. In some cases, heavy drinking can cause alcoholic cardiomyopathy, a disease that weakens the heart, triggering arrhythmias and reducing blood flow. Alcohol can also lead to dehydration, which causes the heart to work harder.

If you’re living with HCM, talk to your doctor before consuming even moderate amounts of alcohol. The American Heart Association defines moderate drinking as two drinks or less per day for men and one drink or less per day for women.

If you’re living with HCM, talk to your doctor before consuming even moderate amounts of alcohol.

For people with HCM or other heart conditions, it’s important to discuss alcohol consumption with your cardiology team. Alcohol can further damage a heart muscle that is already weak.

5. Ask Your Doctor About Caffeine

Talk to your cardiologist about drinking coffee and other caffeinated drinks. While some large studies haven’t found a connection between drinking caffeine in moderation and heart arrhythmias, caffeine is a stimulant that affects everyone differently. At higher doses, consuming too much caffeine may affect cardiovascular health. If you’re living with HCM, it’s important to know how the foods, beverages, and supplements you consume could affect your heart rhythm.

Caffeine can also cause dehydration in some people, especially when consumed in large amounts. Dehydration may worsen the symptoms of HCM. Ask your healthcare provider how much coffee, soda, tea, and other caffeinated drinks are safe for you. When you’re thirsty, water is usually the best choice.

Adjusting to a new way of eating and a healthy lifestyle may take time. But by making small changes and focusing on your long-term goals, you can feel your best, improve your quality of life, and support your heart health.

Join the Conversation

On MyHeartDiseaseTeam, people share their experiences with heart disease, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

What diet changes have you made since being diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? Let others know in the comments below.