Living with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a patient’s perspective

Abstract

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a complex disease characterized by thickening of the cardiac muscle. Common symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, fatigue and syncope (fainting), which are often confused for other conditions. Clinical treatment focuses on the relief of symptoms with medical therapies, which provide adequate to more variable symptomatic relief. Patients may experience more severe complications that require surgical intervention, such as implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy or septal myectomy. Despite the potential impact on quality of life, the humanistic burden of HCM is not well established. Here, we present four patient testimonials that highlight challenges faced by patients and clinicians in diagnosing HCM and managing symptoms. These testimonials provide valuable information on the spectrum and expression of HCM across generations. Such testimonials can better inform disease diagnosis and monitoring, maximizing quality of life and improving disease outcome.