Screening for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

1Most cases are inherited as an autosomal dominant, though new mutations can arise. 2 Despite 30 years of investigation into HCM, its natural history remains uncertain. 34 Some patients never develop symptoms, whereas others have severe symptoms of heart failure. Others can die suddenly without warning. The proportion of patients in each group is unknown. 5 In recent years attention has been focused on the possibility of screening for this disorder. In England the Department of Health was recently criticised by the Cardiomyopathy Association for not supporting a proposal by the association to screen people under 18 years of age for HCM. The Cardiomyopathy Association argues that screening people “at risk of sudden death is a necessity”. 6 This short communication consid