What kind of disease is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? What are the different types? Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is strictly defined as a disease of the myocardium in which the heart, especially the ventricular septum of the heart, appears to be hyperplastic and hypertrophied. Over 20 years ago, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was a relatively rare disease, but after 20 years of medical development, this disease has been found to be the most common and most prevalent cardiovascular genetic disease worldwide.
The prevalence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is 1 in 500, which is equivalent to 1 in 500 people. It can develop in adolescence, adulthood, and old age at all times, even at birth and in early childhood. Because the time span is so large, early diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is very important.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is divided into apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, septal hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and, of course, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and hypertrophic non-obstructive cardiomyopathy depending on the degree of obstruction. What are the risks of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has no symptoms or discomfort in the early stages, but in the late stages malignant arrhythmias, heart failure and even sudden death may occur, and it is the leading cause of sudden death in young people. What kind of symptoms should I suspect of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? The symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy vary greatly, and can often be considered in four ways: first, the appearance of heart failure, such as chest tightness and shortness of breath, chest pressure or fatigue after activity; second, the manifestation of ischemia, where the patient shows symptoms of angina pectoris, and may also experience blackness or even syncope (loss of consciousness); third, malignant arrhythmias, mainly heartburn, where the patient may feel The patient may feel that the heart is beating strongly or rapidly; fourth, sudden cardiac death. Many patients are seen for sudden death episodes. What is the difference between obstructive and non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? Which of them is more dangerous? The heart is a blood pumping organ that supplies blood to the heart, brain, kidneys, liver, spleen and all the vital organs of the body. In layman’s terms, we define obstructive cardiomyopathy if the hypertrophic part of the heart blocks the blood pumping channel of the heart, and vice versa for non-obstructive cardiomyopathy. Although it is simple to say, the clinical classification is very strict, and there are many indicators that need to be examined and examined before we can determine whether the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is obstructive or non-obstructive.
Theoretically, obstructive is relatively more dangerous, but it is not absolute. Even patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may suffer from heart failure and sudden death. Is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by hypertension? Up to now there is no evidence that hypertension is related to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, but it is worth noting that hypertension often causes myocardial hypertrophy, which is a difficult and important point of clinical diagnosis for both diseases, and further evaluation is needed to differentiate the two. What treatment options are available for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? Treatment options vary from patient to patient. For patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the first step is medication, and most patients need to take medication for life; if obstruction occurs, surgical removal of hypertrophic myocardium or minimally invasive medical intervention can be considered; for patients with malignant lethal arrhythmias, defibrillation pacemakers should be considered to prevent sudden death; for patients with heart failure, active and effective treatment is needed In advanced stages, heart transplantation may be considered. What should be done when a patient’s heart is getting bigger or has heart failure? Heart enlargement and heart failure are one of the most serious clinical outcomes for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Once the heart enlargement occurs, the heart failure should be actively corrected. How to determine if a patient needs a heart transplant? If the heart failure is still not under control, accompanied by malignant lethal arrhythmias, enlarged heart and complete loss of heart function, then heart transplantation has to be considered. What should I pay attention to in my daily life if I have been detected with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? These patients should avoid competitive sports activities, but slow activities such as swimming are encouraged and supported. All in all, it is up to you to do what you can. There are no special dietary requirements
This article is authorized by Dr. Lei Song.