Disparities in the Diagnosis of Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy: A Narrative Review of Current Literature.

Disparities in the Diagnosis of Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy: A Narrative Review of Current Literature. Cardiol Res Pract. 2018;2018:3750879 Authors: Burns J, Jean-Pierre P Abstract Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is a disorder of abnormal thickening of the myocardium that affects 0.2% of the population. HOCM is a frequently implicated cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young athletes. In this manner, this condition has the capacity for tremendous emotional, social, financial, and medical burdens for families and communities across the country. Multiple factors including genetics and hormonal elements are believed to play a role in the development of this cardiomyopathy. HOCM is an autosomal dominant trait with variable expressivity. It is associated with several genetic changes in the myosin heavy chain genes. Current treatment includes optimization of cardiac risk factors and medical management with beta-adrenergic blockade with definitive treatment of surgical intervention to reduce cardiac workload. The demographic most likely to be diagnosed with HOCM based upon clinical registry data is Caucasian boys and men. However, a growing body of data supports increased prevalence in African American populations and percentages equal to, if not higher than, Caucasian males in Hispanic populations. Similarly, males of African American ethnicity that participate in basketball are the most likely demographic to...
Source: Cardiology Research and Practice - Category: Cardiology Authors: Tags: Cardiol Res Pract Source Type: research