Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Normal Genetic Investigations Have Few Affected Relatives

Søren K Nielsen1, Frederikke G Hansen2, Torsten B Rasmussen3

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Cardiology, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejle, Denmark.

Insights

Family screening for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in relatives of patients with normal genetic tests revealed a low frequency of new diagnoses. Affected individuals generally had a favorable prognosis, suggesting value in continued screening.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Genetics
  • Preventive Medicine

Background:

  • Current guidelines advocate genetic screening for relatives of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) index patients.
  • The utility of family screening in HCM cases with normal genetic testing for known genes remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the frequency of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) among relatives of index patients who underwent normal genetic investigations.
  • To characterize the clinical presentation and prognosis of relatives diagnosed with HCM through family screening.

Main Methods:

  • Clinical and genetic investigations were conducted on relatives of HCM index patients lacking pathogenic variants in known HCM genes.
  • Relatives underwent clinical assessments to identify HCM diagnoses and monitor disease progression over time.

Main Results:

  • Among 80% of relatives screened, 5% were diagnosed with HCM at baseline, and 0.3% developed it over 5 years.
  • The median age of diagnosis was 57 years, with two-thirds identified via family screening.
  • Affected relatives showed a favorable prognosis with no adverse complications and a low risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD).

Conclusions:

  • Family screening of HCM index patients with normal genetic results identifies affected relatives at a low frequency.
  • These identified relatives typically exhibit a favorable clinical course, supporting the value of systematic screening.
Abstract

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