Long-Term Realities: Managing Disease Progression and ICD Selection in Young HCM Patients

Patient advocates Hannah and Bethany Keime from HeartCharged sit down with Dr. John Fritzlen to discuss the long-term journey of living with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The conversation covers the progressive nature of the condition, including the onset of heart failure symptoms, atrial fibrillation, and myocardial remodeling over decades, as well as how advanced diagnostics like cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) help clinicians track subtle declines. Dr. Fritzlen shares tailored approaches for counseling young or newly diagnosed patients, emphasizing the importance of active lifestyle management and proactive treatment strategies like cardiac myosin inhibitors. Additionally, the group addresses the critical clinical and lifestyle factors involved in selecting implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), detailing the durability advantages of subcutaneous (S-ICD) and extravascular (EV-ICD) systems for active, younger populations.