Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)Symptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
View Main Condition: Cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a condition in which the heart muscle becomes thick. Sometimes, only one part of the heart is thicker than the other parts.
The thickening can make it harder for blood to leave the heart, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood. It also can make it harder for the heart to relax and fill with blood.
Cardiomyopathy - hypertrophic (HCM); IHSS; Idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis; Asymmetric septal hypertrophy; ASH; HOCM; Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is most often passed down through families (inherited). It is thought to result from variants in the genes that control heart muscle growth.
Younger people are likely to have a more severe form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. However, the condition is seen in people of all ages.
Some people with the condition may have no symptoms. They may first find out they have the problem during a routine medical exam.
In many young adults, the first symptom of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is sudden collapse and possible death. This can be caused by highly abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). It may also be due to a blockage that prevents the outflow of blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
Common symptoms include:
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Fainting, especially during exercise
- Fatigue
- Lightheadedness, especially with or after activity or exercise
- Sensation of feeling the heart beat fast or irregularly (palpitations)
- Shortness of breath with activity or after lying down (or being asleep for a while)
Always follow your provider's advice about exercise if you have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. You may be told to avoid strenuous exercise. Also, see your provider for regularly periodic checkups.
If you have symptoms, you may need medicines including beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers or other newer medicines to help the heart contract and relax correctly. These medicines may relieve chest pain or shortness of breath when exercising.
People with arrhythmias may need treatment, such as:
- Medicines to treat the abnormal rhythm.
- Blood thinners to reduce the risk of blood clots (if the arrhythmia is due to atrial fibrillation).
- A permanent pacemaker to control the heartbeat.
- An implanted defibrillator that recognizes life-threatening heart rhythms and sends an electrical pulse to stop them. Sometimes a defibrillator is placed, even if the person has not had an arrhythmia but is at high risk for a deadly arrhythmia (for example, if the heart muscle is very thick or weak, or the person has a relative who has died suddenly).
When blood flow out of the heart is severely blocked, symptoms can become severe. An operation called surgical myectomy may be done. In some cases, people may be given an injection of alcohol into the arteries that feed the thickened part of the heart (alcohol septal ablation). People who have this procedure often show much improvement.
You may need surgery to repair the heart's mitral valve if it is leaking.
Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Milind Desai is a Cardiologist practicing medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Desai is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). He is also highly rated in 48 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), Cardiomyopathy, Aortic Regurgitation, Aortic Valve Replacement, and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). Dr. Desai is board certified in American Board Of Internal Medicine, 2004.
Frankel Cardiovascular Center
Sara Saberi is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and a member of the Inherited Cardiomyopathy Program at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center. She received her bachelor's degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL and her medical degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. She obtained her residency training in Internal Medicine and fellowship training in Cardiovascular Medicine at University of Michigan. She joined the faculty at Michigan in 2010. Dr. Saberi’s clinical work is focused on providing comprehensive care to patients with genetic cardiomyopathies and their families. Her research work focuses on clinical research aimed at learning more about inherited cardiomyopathies and development of new treatments to prevent or delay onset or progression of disease. One of her areas of focus is determining the impact of exercise training on outcomes, disease features, and quality of life in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and establishing evidence-based guidelines to inform recommendations for athletes with cardiomyopathies. Dr. Saberi is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). She is also highly rated in 32 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), Cardiomyopathy, Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Cardiac Ablation, and Pacemaker Implantation. Dr. Saberi is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease.
Penn Heart And Vascular Center
Anjali Owens is a Cardiologist practicing medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Owens is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). She is also highly rated in 20 other conditions, according to our data. Her clinical expertise encompasses Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Heart Transplant, and Cardiac Ablation. Dr. Owens is currently accepting new patients.
Some people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may not have symptoms and will have a normal lifespan. Others may get worse slowly or quickly. In some cases, the condition may develop into dilated cardiomyopathy.
People with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are at higher risk for sudden death than people without the condition. Sudden death can occur at a young age.
There are different types of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which have different prognoses. The outlook may be better when the disease occurs in older people or when there is a particular pattern of thickness in the heart muscle.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a well-known cause of sudden death in athletes. Almost half of deaths due to this condition happen during or just after some type of physical activity.
Contact your provider if:
- You have any symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
- You develop chest pain, palpitations, faintness, or other new or unexplained symptoms.
Summary: The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of mavacamten treatment in Chinese adults with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in real-world clinical practice
Summary: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common (\> 1/500 in the general adult population) genetically transmitted disease impacting markedly patients' lives from the early ages to the latest. The phenotype as the prognosis of HCM may greatly differ from one patient to another: most patients present no or few symptoms and a near-normal lifespan, while others are severely symptomatic. Paroxysmal, per...
Published Date: April 28, 2026
Published By: Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Elliott PM, Olivotto I. Diseases of the myocardium and endocardium. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 47.
Ho CY, Day SM. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In: Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, et al, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2026:chap 62.
Simon’s Heart is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about, and preventing deaths from, conditions that cause sudden cardiac arrest in children.