Medical Health Central

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy usually occurs in young, often in athletes. For this reason, it is sometimes called athletic heart muscle disease. However, people of any age can develop hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Often there are no symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Sudden death can occur, caused by cardiac arrhythmia. The American Heart Association indicates that 36% of young athletes who die suddenly probable or definite hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the result of abnormal growth of heart muscle cells. The wall between the heart chambers can become so thickened that it blocks the flow of blood through the lower house on the left. The thickened wall can grow on the heart valve between the left cardiac cavities, making it permeable. The thick muscular walls also prevent the heart from stretching as much as it should fill with blood. Causes and symptoms The cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is not known. In about half the cases, the disease is hereditary. An abnormal gene has been detected in these patients. In cases that are not inherited, a gene that was normal at birth may later become abnormal. 1726 Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine 2

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