Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, is a complex type of heart disease that affects your heart muscle. According to doctors, the condition can lead to the thickening of your heart muscle, left ventricular stiffness, mitral valve changes, and cellular changes, all of which can be life-threatening. Statistics say HCM, which causes heart failure, irregular heartbeats, and even sudden cardiac death, affects around one in 200 people across the world, with up to 7.
2 million people in India living with it. Doctors say since many people with the condition have no symptoms and may not even know they have it, HCM becomes a silent killer. While it can be detected during a physical exam by hearing a heart murmur or noticing signs of poor blood flow, you must go for a regular heart checkup for that.
How does HCM affect your body? Related News | Teenage Pakistani Tennis Player Dies Of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy; About This Heart DiseaseDoctors Alarmed Over Rising Cases of An Undiagnosed Heart Condition That Nearly Killed Footballer Fabrice Muamba in 2012HCM leads to thickening of the heart muscle, which eventually blocks or reduces the blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta—a condition called outflow tract obstruction. The ventricles must pump harder to overcome the narrowing or blockage, reducing the amount of blood your ventricle can handle. Experts say it also leads to stiffness in the left ventricle, which happens as a result of cellular changes.
Your left ventricle is not.
