Patient care - HCM Clinic

What are the symptoms associated with HCM?

The clinical course of HCM is variable. Many patients are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. Symptoms include:

Chest pain: Chest pain usually occurs with exertion however may occur with rest or after meals.

Heart failure symptoms: Shortness of breath and fatigue, especially with exertion, is most likely due to a back-up of fluid into the lungs.

Syncope: Passing out or fainting is seen with about 15 to 25 percent of patients with HCM. It may be secondary to irregular heart rhythms, abnormal responses during exercise, or no cause may be found.

Palpitations: Palpitations are a common symptom in patients with HCM. This sensation of fluttering in the chest is most likely due to irregular heart beats (arrhythmias).

Sudden death: A small number of patients with HCM are at risk for sudden death. Risk factors for sudden death in individuals with HCM include a young age at first diagnosis (age < 30 years), an episode of aborted sudden death, a family history of HCM with sudden death of relatives, specific mutations in the genes encoding for troponin T and myosin, sustained supraventricular or ventricular tachycardia, recurrent syncope, ventricular septal wall thickness over 3cm, hypotensive response to exercise, syncope (especially in children), and bradyarrhythmias (slow rhythms of the heart).