Key takeaways

  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a progressive heart disease with four stages. At each stage, HCM has a greater impact on the heart’s structure and function.
  • In the earliest stage, a person will have no signs of HCM but will need monitoring every 1 to 2 years in case the disease begins to progress.
  • In later stages, the heart muscle will thicken, and the heart will pump out less blood than it previously did. Treatment in later stages may involve medication, an implantable device, or possibly a heart transplant.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an inherited heart disease that involves thickening of the heart’s ventricular walls. This thickening can affect the heart’s ability to pump blood, leading to symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, and dizziness.

HCM is a progressive disease, which means it can become more severe over time. Researchers have identified four distinct stages of progression based on how much the size of the heart muscle has changed, how the condition is affecting the heart’s function, and whether complications are present.

Healthcare professionals use a staging system to define individual cases of the disease. Doing so helps guide their treatment decisions.

Review the guide below to learn about the stages of HCM.