Table of Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Images
Cardiomyopathy - hypertrophic (HCM); IHSS; Idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis; Asymmetric septal hypertrophy; ASH; HOCM; Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy
Treatment
The goal of treatment is to control symptoms and prevent complications. Some patients may need to stay in the hospital until the condition is under control (stabilized).
If you have symptoms, you may need medication to help the heart contract and relax correctly. Some medications used include beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers, which may reduce chest pain and other symptoms, particularly with exercise. Medications will often relieve symptoms so patients do not need more invasive treatments.
Some people with arrhythmias may need anti-arrhythmic medications. If the arrhythmia is due to atrial fibrillation, blood thinners may also be used to reduce the risk of blood clots.
Some patients may have a permanent pacemaker placed. However, pacemakers are used less often today than they were in the past.
When blood flow out of the heart is severely blocked, an operation called surgical myectomy may be done. This procedure cuts and removes a portion of the thickened part of the heart. Patients who have this procedure often show significant improvement. If the heart's mitral valve is leaking, surgery may be done to repair or replace the valve.
In some cases, patients may be given an injection of alcohol into the arteries that feed the thickened part of the heart (alcohol septal ablation), essentially causing a controlled heart attack.
An implantable-cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) may be needed to prevent sudden death. ICDs are used in high-risk patients. High risks include:
- Drop in blood pressure during exercise
- Family history of cardiac arrest
- History of cardiac arrest or
ventricular tachycardia - History of unexplained fainting
- Life-threatening heart rhythms on a
Holter monitor - Severe heart muscle thickness
Previous Section
Review Date: 05/17/2010
Reviewed By: Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division
of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington
Medical School, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve,
MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
