Tag: treatment
2020 AHA/ACC HCM Diagnosis & Treatment Guidelines Released – Updated With New Links
The highly anticipated 2020 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy have been released.
This document, drafted with reference to published HCM literature, and with input from a committee of HCM experts with broad expertise, updates the prior version published in 2011. It contains clinical practice guidelines for the broad spectrum of issues which may confront medical professionals as they approach the diagnosis and treatment of patients and families affected by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Patients Fare Best at HCM Specialty Centers
A recent retrospective study conducted by doctors at Yale -New Haven Health System found that patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy fare best when treated at a specialty center using a team approach to HCM. The study found that this was especially true for patients coming from disadvantaged backgrounds who often fare worse outside of a HCM specialty setting.
The findings of this study suggest that patients with HCM are best served when referred to HCM specialty care instead of receiving care solely from general cardiologists.
More HCM Research is Needed
This study looked at 4893 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy treated at 7 different European HCM centers between 1980 and 2013. Although the statistics improved for those who were treated more recently, this study makes it clear that there is still much room for improvement in risk stratification and treatment for patients with HCM.
Echo Measurement May Help to Guide HOCM Treatment Plan
In particular, the researchers found that a poor LV-GLS measurement seemed to correlate with a higher incidence of sudden cardiac arrest and appropriate ICD discharge. Worsening LV‐GLS of less than -14% was associated with poorer prognosis, while myectomy seemed to improve LV‐GLS.
The researchers also found that a small number of HCM patients (including post-myectomy patients) with severely reduced LV‐GLS (worse than ≈ −7%) appeared to be in need of aggressive treatment, potentially including heart transplantation.
Comprehensive Overview of Worldwide Guidelines for Assessment and Treatment of HCM
If you are looking for a lengthy, thorough and analytical summary of the current guidelines worldwide for the assessment and treatment of HCM, then this article is a must. Nature, the International Weekly Journal of Science, has put together a comprehensive article summarizing and synthesizing all of this information. Just make sure you have some time to read and digest. This is not for those who like to get their soundbites on Twitter!
HCM Beat 