With a prevalence of about one in 500, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is one of the most common genetic diseases.
1 HCM is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait caused by a large variety of mutations – around 450 different mutations in more than 11 genes have been reported.
2 HCM is clinically classified as a (usually asymmetric) thickening of the myocardial wall of the left ventricle, often involving the interventricular septum, which cannot be accounted for by other clinical diseases.
3,4 Most patients experience few if any symptoms. If present, symptoms are diverse. Common symptoms are chest pain during exertion and dyspnoea.
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