Hypotrophic cardiomyopothy ?

Question

My dad passed away four years ago from hypotrophic cardiomyopothy and recently just found out that was the cause. And my guy friend also died suddenly last week from this disease at eighteen! So that's when I decided to research about it and I found out that it was genetic. My dad is the only one in the family who had it. Alot of the genetic appearences came from my dad so I'm scared that he passed down this disease to me. What are the chances of it getting passed down to me? I get some pain somtimes and whenever i've jumped a trampoline my heart can't take it and really hurts. Please Help!

Answer 1

I have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. So does my mother, and my oldest sister died from it at age 35, nine years after having surgery to correct the problem. Unfortunately everyone else in my family refuses to be tested under the idea that they feel fine, therefore there is nothing to worry about.

The chances of passing the genetics is a simple 50/50. And yes you could easily have it. The disease in most people appears during teenage years and worsens until something like the mid to late 20s. That is only  a generality.

In some of us it seems tied to problems like stress. I could run for miles until a stressful time just a few year back. Now I can't walk faster than 3 miles per hour without the help of medication even then I'm lucky to walk 4mph. Running, trampoline, long stairs, etc are not for me anymore. I'm not disabled. I do plan on building my own house next year with my own two hands, but I get to manage my life to keep out too intensive activities.

And it was much the same for my sister. She went into a stressful job and ended up in heart surgery a few years later as she couldn't walk 20 feet on her own. After her surgery shock, she would get stressed at almost anything. Then she stopped having regular checkups, because "She would know" if there is anything wrong.

The disease once grown out is easy to detect. First check with your doctor and see if you have a heart murmur. If this disease is bad enough to effect you, you will have one. They just have to listen to your heart.

Then get a referral to a cardiologist. Then you should have a heart echo. It is an ultrasound of the heart and can tell most of the characteristics of the heart. This includes how bad your problem is.

If you do, the options for treatment are medications(taking), an Internal Cardioverter Defibrillator(have one), and your pick of two different surgical procedures that can reduce the problem in the heart and restore most of what you have lost due to the disease. They will not recommend a heart procedure unless you are in a bad condition, or can pay for it yourself.  

I wish you luck and sincerely hope you do not have this problem.    

Answer 2

Is it possible you mean hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? Basically the heart enlarges, but doesn't gain in strength -- it stretches out and becomes flabby and weak, and isn't able to pump blood efficiently.

Yes, there is definitely a genetic link to this heart disease. I'm not sure how old you are, but you may want to have a conversation with your primary care provider. Some tests (like a heart echo) should give them some idea if you're headed down that road. Also, the fact that your dad had it doesn't mean that you absolutely have to have it. You are at risk, that's all. Fortunately we are a mix of genes, and not clones of one parent, so don't think that you must have it.

Not to panic, either, there are medications and lifestyle modifications that you can make that will help you to control the disease.

You are wise to have done some research, and now that you know you might be at risk, do something about it, get some information, and take some action so you don't have to lose sleep over this any more.

Answer 3

Listen to bpdou he's very right