Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A sudden killer in young adults

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an inherited heart disease that affects 1% of the population and it mainly kills young people. It is a condition that causes thickening of the heart walls, resulting in an enlarged, dysfunctional heart. It can mimic many common diseases such as asthma, anxiety disorders, heart murmurs or a heart attack. Diagnosis is through echocardiography and usually is not positive for HCM until puberty. Treatment includes medication, implantation of a heart pacemaker/defibrillator, or a heart transplant. Lack of treatment results in sudden cardiac death; there is no cure. Prevention involves having a high index of suspicion, especially in families where a member less than 55 years of age has died suddenly due to their heart. Genetic testing can be conducted in families of sufferers.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by Daily Breeze

Related Disease Topics:

• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Asthma
• Anxiety disorder
• Heart murmur
• Heart attack

Article Source Details

About: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: A sudden killer in young adults

Date: 23 May 2005

Source: Daily Breeze

URL: http://www.rednova.com/news/health/151445/broken_heart/

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Heart disease
• Heart attack
• Genetic testing
• Misdiagnosis (type of Medical misadventure)
• Misdiagnosis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Misdiagnosis heart disease
• Misdiagnosis and asthma
• Misdiagnosis and anxiety disorder
• Misdiagnosis and heart murmur
• Misdiagnosis and heart attack
• Misdiagnosis and sudden cardiac death
• Misdiagnosis and genetic testing
• Underdiagnosis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Underdiagnosed and heart disease
• Underdiagnosed and genetic testing
• Underdiagnosed and sudden cardiac death
• Undiagnosed and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Undiagnosed and heart disease
• Undiagnosed and sudden cardiac death
• Medication and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Cause and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Cause and sudden cardiac death

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