Practical and summarized recommendations for the clinical management of atrial fibrillation and sudden death risk stratification of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is defined by the presence of increased thickness of the left ventricle wall (≥15 mm) that cannot be explained solely by abnormal loading conditions. The most frequent and known etiology of HCM is autosomal dominant genetic, caused by mutation of genes that encode for sarcomere proteins. Estimated prevalence is around 1 out of 500 people in the general population. Throughout the years, applying clinical research, we have learned that these patients have an increased risk of both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, and they contribute greatly to the patient prognosis, morbidity and mortality. The Arrhythmias and Electrophysiology Committee of the Argentine Federation of Cardiology, decided to review the current literature in order to provide a summary and practical information for the proper clinical management of these patients, mainly as regards
the clinical management of Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and the Stratification of Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) Risk, in order to try to help clinical cardiologists to select the best management strategy in each individual patient.