A recent study  found that African-American patients with HCM tend to be younger and more symptomatic than their white counterparts. Additionally, these patients are less likely to undergo septal reduction therapies or have genetic testing.

The implications, according to Dr. Neal Lakdawala of Brigham and Women’s Hospital who is an author of the study, is that doctors should always consider the possibility of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy.  If diagnosed with HCM, these patients should be referred to specialists with experience in treating HCM.  This could potentially help these patients avoid the two most devastating complications of HCM:  sudden death and stroke.