Heart Condition Saturday: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
A couple of days ago, I wrote about Joanne Steele who’s on the heart transplant list after developing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Here’s some more information on the disease for this week’s Heart Condition Saturday,
From MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia:
In this condition, heart muscle becomes too thick to function properly. The thickening is often not symetrical, affecting one part of the heart more than others. It may interfere with the functioning of the heart by reducing the size of the ventricular chamber. It may also reduce the ability of the valves to work properly. The thickening of the heart muscle may, in some circumstances, obstruct the flow of blood out of the heart.
In addition, heart cells become tangled and jumbled up instead of maintaining their normal pattern. One consequence of the disarray of these cells is that the electrical impulses that normally run though the heart muscle cannot proceed normally, which can lead to abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias).
HCM is usually an inherited disorder, the consequence of several defects in the genes controlling heart muscle growth. The abnormal muscle growth usually occurs during periods of a person’s rapid general growth, typically during adolescence.
Younger people are likely to have a more severe form of the disease, but HCM may be diagnosed in people of all ages. HCM among people over 60 years of age is often associated with mild hypertension (high blood pressure).
Symptoms:
- chest pain
- fainting, especially during exercise
- light-headedness, especially after activity or exercise
- dizziness
- sensation of feeling heart beat (palpitations)
- shortness of breath
If you have any of these symptoms, see your personal physician as soon as possible.
Technorati Tags: joanne steele, heart disease, heart, disease, health, cardiovascular disease, cvd, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
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POSTED IN: Heart Conditions
6 opinions for Heart Condition Saturday: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
angelo
May 22, 2006 at 10:52 am
Hmmm… your post about Restrictive Cardiomyopathy sort of sounded familiar. Sounded like the heart condition New York Knick Eddy Curry was said to have. Turned out it’s really this one. Been wanting to know if this is really a harmful condition for an athlete like some people in the NBA fear. Well Eddy’s still alive so…
I’m not even sure if Eddy really has this… updates about his condition sort of stopped after he was traded by the Bulls to the Knicks. Oh well…
Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD
May 22, 2006 at 3:40 pm
angelo: Good memory! From PrawfsBlawg I found that Eddie Curry had a few incidents of arrhythmia that hinted at hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which also happened to kill basketball stars Hank Gathers and Reggie Lewis. Doctors suggested that Curry take a DNA test to rule this out but he refused and got traded and that was that.
A Hearty Life » Heart-to-Heart #17: Cynthia’s Summer Adventure
Aug 13, 2006 at 12:25 pm
[...] Cynthia’s Summer Adventure is a major one. She just had septal myectomy surgery on Friday, August 11th, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In her first post, she explains what her surgery will entail: In the surgery I am scheduled for, called a septal “myectomy,” Dr. Dearani will remove a portion of the thickened muscle from the septum (or the part of the muscle that divides the heart) thereby widening the outflow tract and relieving the obstruction. This should both relieve my symptoms and improve my long term prognosis. [...]
Cynthia with HCM
Aug 14, 2006 at 8:33 am
Hi,
Thanks for featuring my blog.
Re: the Eddy Curry situation, there was disagreement as to whether he actually had/has HCM or not. Dr. Barry Maron, THE expert on HCM wanted him to take a DNA test to rule it out. Dr. David Cannom, who just happens to be my E.P. in Los Angeles, didn’t think that Curry has HCM so therefore thought that the DNA test was not necessary.
HCM DNA tests are only able to detect approximately 50 - 60% of the mutations that cause HCM, so in my humble opinion, it is not the role of the NBA to force Mr. Curry to take a DNA test that could be career ending, as long as he is aware of the potential risks.
If I wanted to play NBA Basketball, I should be allowed. Well, there are issues raised by my being a 41 year old 5′3″ woman. Not so good for those rebounds! But, hey, that determination should be made because of my (lack of) athletic ablitity - not because I have HCM.
Thanks again for your support,
Cynthia
Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD
Aug 14, 2006 at 12:31 pm
Cynthia: Hi, superwoman! ;) Agreed on the accuracy of DNA testing. I think it’s a tricky situation when it comes to professional sports, though. These players get paid millions of dollars and are a significant investment. It’s understandble that the owners and coaches would want them to be at tip-top shape.
But then again, what do I know? I’m not much of a sports fan. LOL
A Hearty Life » A Heart for Sports
Mar 10, 2007 at 6:22 pm
[...] Prevention is important. But there are some heart conditions you can’t prevent even if you’re eating the perfect diet, doing the perfect amount of exercise, and leading the perfect life. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a hereditary heart disease that leads to thickening of the heart wall. While some people with HCM experience chest pain, light-headedness, dizziness, and other symptoms, many do not. And in young patients, the first sign of HCM is sudden death. [...]
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