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Other tests may also be needed or
suggested by your cardiologist. However
if these are needed, they will be
discussed with you at that time.
Treatment
At this time there is no cure for HCM.
There are treatments available that
may help you feel better. The treatment
you will receive will depend on how you
are feeling and the overall functioning
of your heart. Your doctor will review all
of your test reports and, in discussion
with you, will recommend and explain
the treatment that may work best.
Some of these may be: medications,
heart surgery, a pacemaker (for slow
heart rates) and sometimes an internal
defibrillator (ICD – to detect and treat
dangerous heart rhythms).
For More Information Visit:
www.med.mun.ca/arvc/
www.cardiomyopathy.org
www.sads.ca
Clinic Staff:
• Dr. Martin Gardner FRCP(C), FACC
• Dr. Chris Gray MD, FRCP(C)
• Victoria Newman-Burd RN, BScN,
CCRP
• Dr. Sarah Dyack, MD, FRCPC, FCCMG
• Amy Crowley MS-CGC
• Julie Hatheway MS-CGC
Looking for more information on this topic?
Contact your local public library for books, videos,
magazine articles and online health information.
For a list of public libraries in Nova Scotia go to
http://publiclibraries.ns.ca
Capital Health promotes a smoke-free and scent-free
environment. Please do not wear perfumed products.
Thank You!
Capital Health, Nova Scotia
www.cdha.nshealth.ca
Funding for the Inherited Heart Disease Clinic
provided by Medtronic of Canada
Prepared by: Inherited Heart Disease Clinic, QEII
Designed and Printed by: CH Audio Visual and
Printing Departments
WG85-0631 Revised Oct. 2011
The information in this pamphlet is to
be updated every 3 years.
2011
HCM:
Hypertrophic
Cardiomyopathy
Inherited Heart Disease
Clinic
What is HCM?
The heart is a hollow organ that is
made up mainly of muscle. It is divided
into 4 chambers, the atria (the 2
chambers in the top part of the heart)
and the ventricles (the 2 chambers in
the bottom part of the heart). Normally,
blood is gathered from the body in the
atria, sent into the ventricles and then
pumped back out into the body by a
powerful contraction of the heart
muscle. The heart is also divided into
a left and right side by muscle tissue
called a septum.
In HCM, there is a severe thickening
of the heart muscle, mainly in the
septum. When this area becomes
thickened, it becomes stiff and does
not allow the ventricles to contract and
expand properly. When this happens,
the amount of blood the heart can hold
is reduced and the amount of blood
the ventricles can pump out to the rest
of the body decreases.
What causes HCM?
For most people, HCM is inherited
(genes passed from one generation
to the next or parent to child) without
skipping a generation. There is no
preference to females or males.
Members of families who are affected
with this disease have a 50:50 chance
of inheriting the genetic defect. An
affected person may show signs of the
disease or be a carrier (has the gene but
not the disease). Most symptoms appear
over time and a diagnosis is usually
made in the teens or early twenties.
This disease may first present itself in
the form of symptoms (as listed below),
abnormal heart beats and in some
cases, a family member may have died
suddenly at a young age.
Symptoms
There is no one particular symptom
or complaint that is unique to HCM.
When or if these symptoms occur vary,
and their severity may also change over
time. You should always discuss any
symptoms with your doctor.
Some symptoms may be:
Shortness of breath or feeling tired:
This may be noticed when you are
doing something.
Chest pain: A common symptom that is
usually brought on by exercise and relieved by rest but can occur at any time.
Palpitations: When the heart muscle is
weak, it has to work extra hard to supply
the body with enough blood. Sometimes
you may feel your heart racing or a feeling
of a ‘butterfly’ fluttering in your chest.
Blackouts or light-headedness: You may
feel lightheaded or even pass out at any
time. The reasons for these symptoms are
not clear. It may be from an abnormal
heartbeat or a drop in blood pressure.
If you have these episodes, you should
seek medical advice immediately.
Diagnosis
Genetic testing may be available for
some people with this kind of heart
problem. This will be discussed with
you. There is no one test that is used to
diagnose HCM but rather a number of
tests that your doctor may choose to do.
Some of these may be:
Electrocardiogram (ECG): An electrical
tracing of your heartbeat.
Holter Monitor: A 24-hour tape recorder
tracing of your heart’s rhythm.
Echocardiogram (ECHO): Ultrasound
pictures of your heart assess the
thickness of the heart muscle and how
well it is pumping.
Exercise Stress Test (EST): Your blood
pressure, heart rate and heartbeat are
recorded while you are walking on a
treadmill.
What is HCM?
The heart is a hollow organ that is
made up mainly of muscle. It is divided
into 4 chambers, the atria (the 2
chambers in the top part of the heart)
and the ventricles (the 2 chambers in
the bottom part of the heart). Normally,
blood is gathered from the body in the
atria, sent into the ventricles and then
pumped back out into the body by a
powerful contraction of the heart
muscle. The heart is also divided into
a left and right side by muscle tissue
called a septum.
In HCM, there is a severe thickening
of the heart muscle, mainly in the
septum. When this area becomes
thickened, it becomes stiff and does
not allow the ventricles to contract and
expand properly. When this happens,
the amount of blood the heart can hold
is reduced and the amount of blood
the ventricles can pump out to the rest
of the body decreases.
What causes HCM?
For most people, HCM is inherited
(genes passed from one generation
to the next or parent to child) without
skipping a generation. There is no
preference to females or males.
Members of families who are affected
with this disease have a 50:50 chance
of inheriting the genetic defect. An
affected person may show signs of the
disease or be a carrier (has the gene but
not the disease). Most symptoms appear
over time and a diagnosis is usually
made in the teens or early twenties.
This disease may first present itself in
the form of symptoms (as listed below),
abnormal heart beats and in some
cases, a family member may have died
suddenly at a young age.
Symptoms
There is no one particular symptom
or complaint that is unique to HCM.
When or if these symptoms occur vary,
and their severity may also change over
time. You should always discuss any
symptoms with your doctor.
Some symptoms may be:
Shortness of breath or feeling tired:
This may be noticed when you are
doing something.
Chest pain: A common symptom that is
usually brought on by exercise and relieved by rest but can occur at any time.
Palpitations: When the heart muscle is
weak, it has to work extra hard to supply
the body with enough blood. Sometimes
you may feel your heart racing or a feeling
of a ‘butterfly’ fluttering in your chest.
Blackouts or light-headedness: You may
feel lightheaded or even pass out at any
time. The reasons for these symptoms are
not clear. It may be from an abnormal
heartbeat or a drop in blood pressure.
If you have these episodes, you should
seek medical advice immediately.
Diagnosis
Genetic testing may be available for
some people with this kind of heart
problem. This will be discussed with
you. There is no one test that is used to
diagnose HCM but rather a number of
tests that your doctor may choose to do.
Some of these may be:
Electrocardiogram (ECG): An electrical
tracing of your heartbeat.
Holter Monitor: A 24-hour tape recorder
tracing of your heart’s rhythm.
Echocardiogram (ECHO): Ultrasound
pictures of your heart assess the
thickness of the heart muscle and how
well it is pumping.
Exercise Stress Test (EST): Your blood
pressure, heart rate and heartbeat are
recorded while you are walking on a
treadmill.
What is HCM?
The heart is a hollow organ that is
made up mainly of muscle. It is divided
into 4 chambers, the atria (the 2
chambers in the top part of the heart)
and the ventricles (the 2 chambers in
the bottom part of the heart). Normally,
blood is gathered from the body in the
atria, sent into the ventricles and then
pumped back out into the body by a
powerful contraction of the heart
muscle. The heart is also divided into
a left and right side by muscle tissue
called a septum.
In HCM, there is a severe thickening
of the heart muscle, mainly in the
septum. When this area becomes
thickened, it becomes stiff and does
not allow the ventricles to contract and
expand properly. When this happens,
the amount of blood the heart can hold
is reduced and the amount of blood
the ventricles can pump out to the rest
of the body decreases.
What causes HCM?
For most people, HCM is inherited
(genes passed from one generation
to the next or parent to child) without
skipping a generation. There is no
preference to females or males.
Members of families who are affected
with this disease have a 50:50 chance
of inheriting the genetic defect. An
affected person may show signs of the
disease or be a carrier (has the gene but
not the disease). Most symptoms appear
over time and a diagnosis is usually
made in the teens or early twenties.
This disease may first present itself in
the form of symptoms (as listed below),
abnormal heart beats and in some
cases, a family member may have died
suddenly at a young age.
Symptoms
There is no one particular symptom
or complaint that is unique to HCM.
When or if these symptoms occur vary,
and their severity may also change over
time. You should always discuss any
symptoms with your doctor.
Some symptoms may be:
Shortness of breath or feeling tired:
This may be noticed when you are
doing something.
Chest pain: A common symptom that is
usually brought on by exercise and relieved by rest but can occur at any time.
Palpitations: When the heart muscle is
weak, it has to work extra hard to supply
the body with enough blood. Sometimes
you may feel your heart racing or a feeling
of a ‘butterfly’ fluttering in your chest.
Blackouts or light-headedness: You may
feel lightheaded or even pass out at any
time. The reasons for these symptoms are
not clear. It may be from an abnormal
heartbeat or a drop in blood pressure.
If you have these episodes, you should
seek medical advice immediately.
Diagnosis
Genetic testing may be available for
some people with this kind of heart
problem. This will be discussed with
you. There is no one test that is used to
diagnose HCM but rather a number of
tests that your doctor may choose to do.
Some of these may be:
Electrocardiogram (ECG): An electrical
tracing of your heartbeat.
Holter Monitor: A 24-hour tape recorder
tracing of your heart’s rhythm.
Echocardiogram (ECHO): Ultrasound
pictures of your heart assess the
thickness of the heart muscle and how
well it is pumping.
Exercise Stress Test (EST): Your blood
pressure, heart rate and heartbeat are
recorded while you are walking on a
treadmill.
Other tests may also be needed or
suggested by your cardiologist. However
if these are needed, they will be
discussed with you at that time.
Treatment
At this time there is no cure for HCM.
There are treatments available that
may help you feel better. The treatment
you will receive will depend on how you
are feeling and the overall functioning
of your heart. Your doctor will review all
of your test reports and, in discussion
with you, will recommend and explain
the treatment that may work best.
Some of these may be: medications,
heart surgery, a pacemaker (for slow
heart rates) and sometimes an internal
defibrillator (ICD – to detect and treat
dangerous heart rhythms).
For More Information Visit:
www.med.mun.ca/arvc/
www.cardiomyopathy.org
www.sads.ca
Clinic Staff:
• Dr. Martin Gardner FRCP(C), FACC
• Dr. Chris Gray MD, FRCP(C)
• Victoria Newman-Burd RN, BScN,
CCRP
• Dr. Sarah Dyack, MD, FRCPC, FCCMG
• Amy Crowley MS-CGC
• Julie Hatheway MS-CGC
Looking for more information on this topic?
Contact your local public library for books, videos,
magazine articles and online health information.
For a list of public libraries in Nova Scotia go to
http://publiclibraries.ns.ca
Capital Health promotes a smoke-free and scent-free
environment. Please do not wear perfumed products.
Thank You!
Capital Health, Nova Scotia
www.cdha.nshealth.ca
Funding for the Inherited Heart Disease Clinic
provided by Medtronic of Canada
Prepared by: Inherited Heart Disease Clinic, QEII
Designed and Printed by: CH Audio Visual and
Printing Departments
WG85-0631 Revised Oct. 2011
The information in this pamphlet is to
be updated every 3 years.
2011
HCM:
Hypertrophic
Cardiomyopathy
Inherited Heart Disease
Clinic
Other tests may also be needed or
suggested by your cardiologist. However
if these are needed, they will be
discussed with you at that time.
Treatment
At this time there is no cure for HCM.
There are treatments available that
may help you feel better. The treatment
you will receive will depend on how you
are feeling and the overall functioning
of your heart. Your doctor will review all
of your test reports and, in discussion
with you, will recommend and explain
the treatment that may work best.
Some of these may be: medications,
heart surgery, a pacemaker (for slow
heart rates) and sometimes an internal
defibrillator (ICD – to detect and treat
dangerous heart rhythms).
For More Information Visit:
www.med.mun.ca/arvc/
www.cardiomyopathy.org
www.sads.ca
Clinic Staff:
• Dr. Martin Gardner FRCP(C), FACC
• Dr. Chris Gray MD, FRCP(C)
• Victoria Newman-Burd RN, BScN,
CCRP
• Dr. Sarah Dyack, MD, FRCPC, FCCMG
• Amy Crowley MS-CGC
• Julie Hatheway MS-CGC
Looking for more information on this topic?
Contact your local public library for books, videos,
magazine articles and online health information.
For a list of public libraries in Nova Scotia go to
http://publiclibraries.ns.ca
Capital Health promotes a smoke-free and scent-free
environment. Please do not wear perfumed products.
Thank You!
Capital Health, Nova Scotia
www.cdha.nshealth.ca
Funding for the Inherited Heart Disease Clinic
provided by Medtronic of Canada
Prepared by: Inherited Heart Disease Clinic, QEII
Designed and Printed by: CH Audio Visual and
Printing Departments
WG85-0631 Revised Oct. 2011
The information in this pamphlet is to
be updated every 3 years.
2011
HCM:
Hypertrophic
Cardiomyopathy
Inherited Heart Disease
Clinic