Long-Term Left Ventricular Remodeling of Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

• Published in: The American journal of cardiology Vol. 122; no. 11; pp. 1924 - 1931
• Main Authors: Musumeci, Maria Beatrice, Russo, Domitilla, Limite, Luca Rosario, Canepa, Marco, Tini, Giacomo, Casenghi, Matteo, Francia, Pietro, Adduci, Carmen, Pagannone, Erika, Magrì, Damiano, Volpe, Massimo, Autore, Camillo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.12.2018; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aneurysm; Benign; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiomyopathy; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic - diagnosis; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic - physiopathology; Cardiovascular disease; Confidence intervals; Consent; Echocardiography, Doppler; Electrocardiography; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart; Heart Ventricles - diagnostic imaging; Heart Ventricles - physiopathology; Humans; Male; Males; Medical prognosis; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Morphology; Mortality; Patients; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Stroke Volume - physiology; Thinning; Time Factors; Ventricle; Ventricular Function, Left - physiology; Ventricular Remodeling; Wall thickness; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0002-9149; 1879-1913
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2018.08.041

In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC), a process of left ventricular (LV) remodeling carrying an adverse prognosis has been described. Conversely, a gradual and benign LV wall thinning has been suggested but never investigated. Therefore, we studied a HC cohort over a long period of time to evaluate the occurrence of a LV remodeling with a benign clinical course. Data of HC patients aged 18 to 65 years and without any condition known to influence LV remodeling were analyzed over a mean follow-up of 7.6 ± 5.7 years. Of 231 HC patients (65% males, mean age 46 ± 12 years), 47 (20%) developed LV remodeling, of whom 23 (10%) had a thinning ≥15% of LV maximal wall thickness from baseline without systolic dysfunction (MWT thinning); 13 (6%) progressed to a LV ejection fraction <50% (end-stage HC) and 11 (5%) developed an apical aneurysm. Follow-up length (odds ratio 1.07, 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 1.15, p = 0.06) and maximal LV wall thickness at baseline (odds ratio 1.14, 95% confidence interval 1.04 to 1.25, p = 0.004) were the main predictors of MWT thinning. Compared with patients with end-stage HC and apical aneurysm, those with MWT thinning showed lower HC-related morbidity (92% and 36% vs 22%, p = 0.003) and mortality (31% and 27% vs 4%, p = 0.02). Furthermore, they showed a combined HC-related morbidity and mortality similar to patients without LV remodeling (incidence 29/1000 vs 26/1000 patient-year, p = 0.77). In conclusion, a process of LV wall thinning with a benign outcome can occur over the long term in patients with HC. The prognostic importance of LV remodeling varies in relation to the different changes in LV morphology and function.