You can have a healthy, normal life with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Most people with HCM have a good outlook and live without major complications or limitations.
With the right treatment, you can improve any symptoms and lower your risk of complications. If you have symptoms, your doctor may recommend medication and other procedures. If you don’t have symptoms, you may be able to treat it with lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.
Medication
Your doctor may recommend medication to ease your symptoms and relax your heart so it can pump blood more easily.
They may include:
- Beta-blockers, such as:
- Atenolol (Tenormin)
- Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol-XL)
- Propranolol (Inderal, Innopran XL)
- Blood thinners, such as:
- Apixaban (Eliquis)
- Dabigatran (Pradaxa)
- Rivaroxaban (Xarelto)
- Warfarin (Jantoven)
- Calcium channel blockers, such as:
- Diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac)
- Verapamil (Calan SR, Verelan)
- Cardiac myosin inhibitors like mavacamten (Camzyos)
- Heart rhythm drugs, such as:
- Amiodarone (Pacerone)
- Disopyramide (Norpace)
Mavacamten (Camzyos) was approved by the FDA in 2022 to treat obstructive HCM with symptoms. It’s the first medication to target the underlying cause of HCM. This medication may help with mild or moderate symptoms.
Talk to your doctor about which medication is best for you. It may be based on the type of HCM you have.
Some medications may have side effects. Talk to your doctor about what to expect. Be sure to take your medication as prescribed.
Surgery and Other Procedures
Your doctor may recommend surgery or other procedures to treat HCM. Examples include:
Septal myectomy. If you have severe symptoms and medication doesn’t help, your doctor may recommend septal myectomy, which is a type of open heart surgery.
During the surgery, your doctor removes part of your septum, which may be so thick that it bulges into your left ventricle. Removing it helps your blood flow better.
Alcohol septal ablation. This is a nonsurgical procedure where your doctor injects alcohol into a small artery through a tube. The alcohol destroys the part of the muscle that’s blocking the flow of blood from your heart because it’s too thick.
Cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). These are devices your doctor implants in your body to help your heart pump. CIEDs include implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), pacemakers, and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices.
Heart transplant. If your HCM is advanced, your doctor may recommend a heart transplant. This is where they replace your heart with a healthy donor heart.
Lifestyle Changes
Healthy lifestyle changes can help you manage HCM and lower your risk of complications.
If you don’t have symptoms, your doctor may recommend heart-healthy lifestyle choices instead of medication or other procedures to treat your HCM. If you have other health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure, good lifestyle choices may lower your risk of more problems.
Recommended choices may include:
Exercise. Regular exercise can help you stay healthy. Talk to your doctor about what’s best for you. Moderate-intensity exercise may be best. You may have to avoid vigorous exercise. Certain activities, like weight lifting and sports that use bursts of energy, like sprinting or other competitive sports, may be too risky.
Diet. Following a healthy diet can keep your heart in the best possible shape, which may prevent HCM complications. Talk to your doctor about the type of diet that's best for you.
A healthy weight. Being at a healthy weight is good for your heart. It prevents excess stress on your heart and helps you manage better when you have procedures to treat HCM.
Limited alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol and caffeine may increase irregular heart rhythms. If you smoke, try to quit. Your doctor can help you decide what’s best.
Regular doctor appointments. If you have new symptoms or your symptoms are getting worse, tell your doctor. Staying on top of your symptoms may prevent complications. See your doctor for regular appointments so they can keep an eye on how you’re doing.
Choosing the Right Treatment
The goals of HCM treatment are to ease symptoms and lower your risk of complications.
Your doctor will help you choose what’s best for you. It depends on your symptoms, medical history, and family history. They also may make changes to the other medications you take. For example, you may start taking medication to treat other heart conditions, like high cholesterol. You may have to stop taking medication for other medical conditions, like erectile dysfunction.
Complications and Risks
While most people with HCM do very well, there’s a small risk of complications. They include:
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Endocarditis, or infection in your heart valves
- Heart failure
- Pregnancy complications
- Stroke
- Sudden cardiac death
Your doctor will base your treatment on your risk of complications. While sudden cardiac death is rare, your doctor may recommend treatment that goes beyond lifestyle changes and medication, such as an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
Show Sources
Photo Credit: BURGER/PHANIE/Science Source
SOURCES:
American Heart Association: “Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM).”
Johns Hopkins Medicine: “Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.”
Mayo Clinic: “Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.”
