Head-Up Tilt Test in Risk Stratification of Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Genetics
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Conflicting data exist on head-up tilt test (HUTT) positivity as a prognostic factor in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
• The correlation between HCM patient genotype and HUTT results remains unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prognostic value of HUTT results in HCM patients.
• To investigate the relationship between HCM patient genotype and HUTT findings.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 74 HCM patients (mean age 51±15 years).
• Patients divided into HUTT-positive (HUTT+) and HUTT-negative (HUTT-) groups.
• Genomic testing (next-generation sequencing) performed on 67 patients.
• Composite endpoint: unexplained syncope, heart failure hospitalization, or death.

Main Results:

• 14 patients (18.9%) were HUTT+, 60 (81.1%) were HUTT-.
• No significant difference in composite endpoint occurrence between HUTT+ (35.7%) and HUTT- (23.3%) groups (p=0.33).
• Genotype positivity was evenly distributed, showing no association with HUTT results.

Conclusions:

• HUTT positivity is not a reliable predictor of long-term outcomes in HCM patients.
• No correlation was found between HUTT results and the genetic profile of HCM patients.