Genotype-Positive Status in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Is Associated With Higher Rates of Heart Failure EventsClinical Perspective

Background—The aim of the study was to clarify the relationship between genotype status and major cardiovascular outcomes in a large cohort of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Methods and Results—Genetic testing was performed in 558 consecutive proband patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Baseline and follow-up (mean follow-up 6.3 years) clinical and echocardiographic data were obtained. Pathogenic mutations were identified in 198 (35.4%) patients. Genotype-positive patients were more likely to be women (44% versus 30%; P=0.001), younger (39 versus 48 years; P<0.001), and have a family history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (53% versus 20%; P<0.001), as well as family history of sudden cardiac death (17% versus 7%; P=0.002). There were no significant differences in the rates of atrial fibrillation, stroke, or septal reduction procedures. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that genotype-positive status was an independent risk factor for the development of combined heart failure end points (decline in left ventricular ejection fraction to <50%, New York Heart Association III or IV in the absence of obstruction, heart failure–related hospital admission, transplantation, and heart failure–related death; hazards ratio, 4.51; confidence interval, 2.09–9.31; P<0.001). No difference was seen in heart failure events between the myosin heavy chain and myosin-binding protein C genotype-positive patients.

Conclusions—The presence of a pathogenic sarcomere mutation in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was associated with an increase in heart failure events, with no differences in event rates seen between myosin heavy chain and myosin-binding protein C genotype-positive patients. The presence of a disease-causing mutation seems more clinically relevant than the specific mutation itself.