The diagnosis and management of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

This article aims to provide an overview of the diagnosis and management of the patient and family with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). It is a relatively common disease of the hear t muscle which is usually genetically inherited from parents in an autosomal dominant pattern. Disease presentation can vary greatly between each individual and can be picked up through routine clinical screening, following the onset of symptoms such as breathlessness, chest pain, fainting or palpitations. Tragically, diagnosis in a family can be made for the first time at post-mortem following a sudden cardiac death.