Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy screening

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy screening
Listening to the heart: part of screening
Purpose	Detect and prevent sudden cardiac death, reduce complications of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy[1]

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy screening is an assessment and testing to detect hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).^[1][2]

It is a way of identifying HCM in immediate relatives of family members diagnosed with HCM, and

HCM is a

Screening

Generally, screening may be considered for anyone of any age with a family history of HCM or sudden death.

The American Heart Association have developed a 14-point evaluation for competitive athletes, which it recommends for screening healthy teenagers and young adults.^[4]

• 
  Flight medical: listening of the chest
• 
  ECG of an athlete
• 
  Child having echocardiogram

Pre-participation Screening

In a few well-trained athletes, the normal 10% to 20% increase in left ventricular wall thickness may make it less easy to differentiate an

There are some physical exam findings that can alert you to look further for HCM. Though some patients can be asymptomatic, it is helpful to associate certain findings with a greater chance of HCM being present. The murmur heard in HCM (or HOCM, if obstructive) is a systolic ejection crescendo-decrescendo murmur. The intensity of this murmur can vary based on the degree of obstruction. This murmur can also change in intensity based on different maneuvers that can be accomplished with the body. The murmur will decrease with maneuvers that cause an increase in preload, such as squatting. It will also decrease with maneuvers that increase afterload, such as hand grip. Conversely, the murmur will increase with maneuvers that decrease preload, such as Valsalva, giving diuretics, and standing. A holosystolic murmur heard at the apex or axilla can indicate mitral regurgitation, which can be found in patients with HCM. Other physical exam findings that may be present are a jugular venous pulse with a prominent A wave, an S4 heart sound, and split second heart sounds with severe disease and prominent outflow tract obstruction. [9]

Global variation

HCM has traditionally been of greater interest in Europe, North America, Japan, Israel, and Australia.^[10]

Research directions

As of 2020, research on heart adaptations in females, teenagers and Asian populations is required.^[3]

References