Heart Diseases

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disorder which makes a portion of heart thickened without any cause by this, the heart being less able to pump blood efficiently. Symptoms differ from none to getting tired, shortness of breath, leg swelling, chest pain or fainting. It also includes heart failure, an irregular heartbeat, and sudden cardiac death. HCM is most frequently inherited from an individual's parents. It is mainly due to mutations in certain genes involved with making heart muscle proteins. Additional reasons may involve Friedreich's ataxia, certain medications such as tacrolimus & Fabry disease. It is kind of cardiomyopathy, a group of diseases that mainly affects the heart muscle. Diagnosis mostly involves an electrocardiogram, echocardiogram & stress-testing. Genetic testing may also be done. The treatment is performed by the use of beta-blockers, diuretics or disopyramide. An implantable cardiac-defibrillator may be suggested in those with specific types of irregular heart-beat. Surgery, in the form of a septal myectomy or heart transplant, may be performing in those who do not improve with other measures. With treatment, the risk of death from the disease is less than one percent a year.