Tag: phenotype

Racial Differences in HCM

Published on by hcmbeat

A recent study of U.K. HCM patients compared a racially mixed sample of 425 patients, including 163 black patients and 262 Caucasians.  The study concluded that while asymmetric septal hypertrophy was the predominant pattern in both ethnic groups, black patients had more instances of apical and concentric hypertrophy, which could, in turn, be responsible for delayed diagnosis of these patients.

What Are the First Signs of HCM?

Published on by hcmbeat2 Comments

 

A study published today by Dr. Carolyn Ho, of Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and colleagues, including Australia’s Christopher Semsarian, found that there are several factors which appear to stand out in young people who later go on to develop HCM.

The children/adolescents/young adults who participated in the study all carried at least one gene associated with HCM, and were members of families with strong histories of HCM. None of the 38 young people had clinical manifestations of HCM at the beginning of the study period, while 4 went on to develop HCM by the end of the study.  In collecting the data analyzed in the study, the test results of the 4 individuals with HCM were compared to the 34 individuals that did not have HCM at the end of the study.

The factors associated with the development of overt HCM, as identified by the researchers, were: abnormal left ventricular relaxation and higher ejection fraction, EKG changes, longer mitral valve leaflets, higher NT-proBNP concentrations and troponin values.

In the conclusion, the authors acknowledged the need for further research and investigation in order to better understand the natural course and evolution of the disease.