Epidemiology

​Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is estimated to affect 15-20 million people worldwide and is the most common cause of sudden death in children and young adults.​[6][7][8]​​​ It is estimated to affect 1 in 500 adults, although population-based genetic studies suggest the condition is more common than reported, with the prevalence of HCM gene carriers estimated at 1 in 200 people or greater.​[8][9]

The mean age of presentation differs among published series but in a large community sampling it was noted to be 57 on average (range 16 to 87 years).[10]

While the disease is autosomal dominant with no known sex predilection, women are more likely to evade diagnosis, presenting at an older age with a greater likelihood of New York Heart Association class III/IV symptomatology at the time of diagnosis.[11] Sudden death is most common in young patients, and death from heart failure or stroke occurs more frequently in middle age and beyond.[12]

While the disease can affect all ethnic groups, apical HCM is seen much more commonly in Asian people. Apical HCM accounts for <5% of HCM cases in non-Asian people and 15% to 40% of cases in Asian people.[13][14]

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