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The findings demonstrate that incorporating clinical history, imaging and blood biomarker data into a risk assessment can improve prediction of adverse cardiac events in people with HCM.
The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in the USA and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre: Oxford (BRC Oxford).
‘Current risk prediction guidelines for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy have limitations as they can only predict sudden cardiac death, but not heart failure or other serious cardiac complications,’ said Professor Stefan Neubauer from the University of Oxford’s Radcliffe Department of Medicine, one of the two chief investigators of the study.
‘This is the largest prospective study of this disease that has incorporated standardised, quality-controlled assessments with cardiac MR imaging (MRI) and blood biomarkers. Our results show that these additional measurements provide powerful risk predictors of adverse outcomes in HCM,’ said Professor Neubauer, who leads the BRC Oxford’s Imaging Theme.
Better risk predictions needed for life-threatening heart condition
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy occurs when the heart muscle becomes larger and thicker than normal, which can block the outflow of the left ventricle, and can lead to rapid, life-threatening heart rhythm abnormalities and to heart failure symptoms. It is often inherited, and many people with the condition are asymptomatic, highlighting the need for better risk prediction.
Read the full story on the Radcliffe Department of Medicine website.