One Size Does NOT Fit All: Treatments Differ by Stage in HCM

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There are distinct stages of HCM and treatments will vary according to the stage. Therefore, it is important, according to a recent article in the Netherlands Heart Journal, for patients to seek treatment from teams experienced in the the treatment of HCM.  These professionals are able to recognize transitions in the course of the disease as they occur, and then implement necessary changes in treatment.

In this thorough overview of HCM and its treatment, Dr. Iacopo Olivotto and his colleagues in the Netherlands observe that HCM is seen infrequently by community cardiologists (as compared to more common heart conditions like coronary artery disease). Hence, one of the major difficulties in HCM practice has been identification of patients at highest risk.

Continue reading “One Size Does NOT Fit All: Treatments Differ by Stage in HCM” →

MyoKardia HCM Drug Has Success in Cats

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MyoKardia’s experimental drug MYK-461, currently in Stage 2 trials for humans, has now been shown to eliminate left ventricular obstruction in five cats with HCM. It has already been shown to inhibit traits of HCM in mice.

Addressing these findings, Associate Professor Joshua Stern, chief of the Cardiology Service at the University of California, Davis, veterinary hospital, stated:

“There has been little to no progress in advancing the treatment of HCM in humans or animals for many years,” Stern said. “This study brings new hope for cats and people.”

Based on these positive results, U.C.Davis is hoping to conduct a clinical trial of MYK-461 to determine whether it could become the standard of care for cats with HCM.

The full text of the article published in Plos One can be found here.

End of the Road for Eleclazine and Liberty HCM Study

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 Eleclazine:  The Liberty HCM Trial

It appears to be the end of the road for the Gilead drug eleclazine, a late sodium channel inhibitor previously known as GS-6615.  Eleclazine, with properties similar to the anti-angina drug ranolazine (which was approved by the FDA in 2006), was the subject of a recently terminated HCM clinical trial known as Liberty-HCM.  The HCM eleclazine study focused on whether the drug would improve symptoms and exercise capacity in patients with HCM by increasing their peak oxygen uptake, resulting in improved VO2 max readings on exercise testing.  The HCM study began enrolling patients in February 2015. Data collection had been scheduled to continue through June 2017. Continue reading “End of the Road for Eleclazine and Liberty HCM Study” →

Depression: 10 Ways for Heart Patients to Cope Without Using Medication

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This highly informative blog article from Carolyn Thomas of Heart Sisters , while targeted toward people with coronary artery disease, contains much useful information which can be applied to heart patients with other conditions as well.  This particular article offers many useful suggestions of ways to help combat depression which could just as easily be implemented by those with HCM.

An added bonus is that most of these suggestions do not involve ingesting anything at all!

One caveat she mentions, which bears repeating, is that you should ALWAYS discuss any type of dietary supplement with your cardiologist before you begin taking it.

Cincinnati Children’s Blog Answers Questions About Genetic Testing for Cardiomyopathies

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This informative blog article about genetic testing features practical advice about genetic testing and is taken from answers provided in a live presentation by Drs. John Jefferies and Ivan Wilmot.

Issues addressed include: how the test is administered, insurance issues related to the test and the meaning of a positive genetic test.

 

 

Computer Algorithms Used to Diagnose HCM

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A study published yesterday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology demonstrated the usefulness of computer algorithms in distinguishing hearts with HCM from athlete’s hearts on echocardiogram.  The computer algorithms were able to automatically classify the echocardiographic images by distinguishing between changes seen in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy  and changes seen in athletes’ hearts due to athletic conditioning.

Dr. Partho P. Sengupta, who authored the study, said that this technology may prove to be a useful tool in recognizing and diagnosing HCM for those who lack the experience to distinguish these conditions on echocardiogram.

 

 

Guest Blogger – The View from a HCM Center – by Dr. Steve Ommen of Mayo Clinic’s HCM Center

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Good stories usually have a protagonist who is confronted with a challenge or conflict.  The story then follows the protagonist’s journey to overcome that challenge.  Often, there are one or more attempts at conflict resolution which prove unsuccessful, or that even make things worse before the path to success is revealed. In the end, the best stories are those where that successful path was right in front of the protagonist the entire time.

The Challenge for HCM Patients: Local Cardiologist vs. Center of Excellence

For a good story related to the world of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, you need look no further than Jill Celeste’s HCMBeat blog post entitled “Myectomy:  A Twice in a Lifetime Experience.” The protagonist in this story is obviously Jill.  The conflict is the impact of her HCM symptoms on her quality of life.  Her journey included unsuccessful forays into different therapies before finally, Jill arrived at the resolution of her conflict by seeking care at a medical center with dedicated expertise in the treatment of HCM.

In the sake of full disclosure, that center happens to be Mayo Clinic where I work.  Jill’s great storytelling reminded me how some really clever books and movies tell the same story from a different point of view. In this blog post, I would like to give you my point of view as a physician who directs a HCM specialty center of the best way that you can navigate your own HCM.  I will share how care by a “center of excellence” can fit into the bigger picture of your HCM care and give you some suggestions for ways to balance so you can work well with both your local care team as well as a specialty center that may be a long way from your home. Continue reading “Guest Blogger – The View from a HCM Center – by Dr. Steve Ommen of Mayo Clinic’s HCM Center” →

Duchess Kate’s Sister, Pippa, Supports British HCM Charity

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Pippa Middleton, who came to the public’s attention during the wedding of her sister Katherine to Prince William, has recently dedicated her efforts toward raising money for HCM genetic testing and research.  Middleton’s efforts are in honor of her late friend Miles Frost, who was lost to sudden cardiac arrest due to HCM in 2015. Frost’s father, British journalist and media personality David Frost, died from HCM just two years earlier in 2013, but this information was never communicated to the family.

The Miles Frost Fund, a partnership with the British Heart Foundation , helps families who have lost a member to a sudden death obtain genetic testing in order to learn if other family members are similarly affected. The Frost Fund also funds research by U.K.researchers working towards finding a cure for HCM.

Parent Heart Watch Featured on TODAY

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The work of Parent Heart Watch – an organization formed by parents of children who died due to sudden cardiac arrest -was featured on the Today show this week.

Parent Heart Watch works tirelessly so that AEDs are available in schools and on playing fields around the U.S. to ensure that children will not fall victim to SCA.

Great work PHW!

Yes We Scan! ICDs and MRIs

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Why MRI is Important:

Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI, is one of the most important tools of modern medicine.  MRIs can be used to evaluate almost every kind of medical issue, from brain tumors to twisted ankles.  They provide clear images, and in some instances, also provide superior visualization.  Because they do not expose the imaging subject to radiation, they are generally preferred over CT scans, even when the two scans would reveal the same information.

MRI in HCM:

In the last several years, MRI has also become an important tool in the evaluation of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).  The images resulting from MRI have proven superior in visualizing the size and structure of the heart and, when used with a contrast agent, MRIs are able to show the extent of scarring in the HCM heart.

MRI Hasn’t Been an Option for Many of Us:

MRI has been unavailable to those of us who have an implantable defibrillator or ICD to in order to protect us from sudden cardiac arrest.  Until recently, having an ICD was an absolute contraindication to MRI.  Newer MRI-safe ICD systems have been in use for the last few years, but that still leaves in place the contraindication for those of us who have older ICD units in place.  That problem is that older lead systems that were implanted along with old, non-MR compatible generators may be incompatible with the newer MR compatible technology, and it may not be possible to simply hook up these old leads to a new MRI compatible generator.  And, it is not as easy as you might think to extract old leads.  Scar tissue grows around these leads, making their removal an intricate and dangerous procedure that is best done only in carefully controlled circumstances by highly specialized physicians. Continue reading “Yes We Scan! ICDs and MRIs” →