Medication for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Your healthcare provider may recommend medications to help decrease the workload of the heart, decrease the oxygen requirements of the heart, and regulate irregular heartbeats.
We use medicines to lessen the force of the heart contraction that many patients have. The aim is to reduce the build of pressure ('gradient') caused by blood pushing past the obstruction caused by the thickened heart wall. Drug treatment is usually given in the presence of some symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Palpitations
- Lightheadedness
- Syncope
Specific drug treatment is individualized for the patient. The most common types of medicine used are beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and anti-arrhythmic drugs.
Sometimes, patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy have an irregular heart rate caused by 'fibrillation' of the upper chambers. In this case, we sometimes use medicines to keep you in normal rhythm or to control your heart rate if you go into the abnormal rhythm.
We often recommend doses of antibiotics for certain patients when they visit their dentist. This is to prevent infection of the heart valves, which can happen in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy because the build up of pressure or the pattern of blood flow affects the valve and can make it susceptible to infection.
Condition Spotlight
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate a new medical approach, device, drug, or other treatment. As a Stanford Health Care patient, you may have access to the latest, advanced clinical trials.
Open trials refer to studies currently accepting participants. Closed trials are not currently enrolling, but may open in the future.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center
See a Stanford specialist to learn about your treatment options. Visit our clinic to make an appointment.
