Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart muscle thickens, becoming hypertrophic, in the absence of dilation of the ventricles.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy affects men and women equally. It is often not even diagnosed due to the absence of symptoms and in many cases allows people to lead normal lives. Possible manifestations include arrhythmias (which can cause sudden death), symptoms from obstruction of blood outflow from the left ventricle (such as dizziness and fainting), heart failure, and myocardial ischemia.
