ACC/ESC Expert consensus document
American College of Cardiology/European Society of
Cardiology Clinical Expert Consensus Document on
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
A report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation Task
Force on Clinical Expert Consensus Documents and the European
Society of Cardiology Committee for Practice GuidelinesM
Writing Committee Members, Barry J. Maron, (Co-Chair)a,b,
William J. McKenna, (Co-Chair)a,b*, Gordon K. Danielsona,
Lukas J. Kappenbergera,b*, Horst J. Kuhnb*, Christine E. Seidman, Pravin M. Shaha,
William H. Spencer IIIa, Paolo Spiritoa,b*, Folkert J. Ten Catea,b*, E. Douglas Wiglea
ACCF Task Force on Clinical Expert Consensus Documents Members, Robert A. Vogel, (Chair),
Jonathan Abrams, Eric R. Bates, Bruce R. Brodie†, Peter G. Danias†, Gabriel Gregoratos, Mark A. Hlatky,
Judith S. Hochman, Sanjiv Kaul, Robert C. Lichtenberg, Jonathan R. Lindner, Robert A. O’Rourke‡,
Gerald M. Pohost, Richard S. Schofield, Cynthia M. Tracy†, William L. Winters Jr†
ESC Committee for Practice Guidelines Members*, Werner W. Klein, (Chair), Silvia G. Priori, (Co-Chair),
Angeles Alonso-Garcia, Carina Blomstro¨m-Lundqvist, Guy De Backer, Jaap Deckers, Markus Flather,
Jaromir Hradec, Ali Oto, Alexander Parkhomenko, Sigmund Silber, Adam Torbicki
Table of contents
Preamble .................................................. 1966
Introduction ............................................... 1966
Organization of committee and evidence review. 1966
Purpose of this Expert Consensus Document ..... 1966
General considerations and perspectives............. 1966
Nomenclature, definitions, and clinical diagnosis .. 1967
Obstruction to LV Outflow .............................. 1967
Genetics and molecular diagnosis ..................... 1968
General considerations for natural history, and
clinical course........................................ 1970
Symptoms and pharmacological management
strategies ............................................. 1972
Beta-adrenergic blocking agents ................... 1972
Verapamil .............................................. 1973
Disopyramide .......................................... 1973
Drugs in end-stage phase ........................... 1974
Asymptomatic patients .............................. 1974
Infective endocarditis prophylaxis ................. 1974
Pregnancy .............................................. 1974
Treatment options for drug-refractory patients..... 1974
Additional approaches to relieve outflow
obstruction and symptoms ......................... 1976
M When citing this document, the American College of Cardiology Foundation and the European Society of Cardiology would appreciate the following
citation format: Maron BJ, McKenna WJ, Danielson GK, Kappenberger LJ, Kuhn HJ, Seidman CE, Shah PM, Spencer WH, Spirito P, Ten Cate FJ, Wigle ED.
ACC/ESC clinical expert consensus document on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a report of the American College of Cardiology Task Force on Clinical
Expert Consensus Documents and the European Society of Cardiology Committee for Practice Guidelines (Committee to Develop an Expert Consensus
Document on Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy). Eur Heart J 2003; doi:10.1016/S0195-668X(03)00479-2.
Copies: This document is available on the Web sites of the ACC at www.acc.org and ESC at www.escardio.org. Copies of this document are available
by calling 800-253-4636 (US only) or writing the American College of Cardiology Foundation, Resource Center, 9111 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda,
MD 20814-1699 as well as by calling or writing ESC Guidelines–Reprints, Elsevier Publishers Ltd., 32 Jamestown Road, London, NW1 7BY, United Kingdom,
Tel: +44.207.424.4422; Fax: +44.207.424.4433; Email: gr.davies@elsevier.com
a American College of Cardiology
b European Society of Cardiology
* Official representatives of the European Society of Cardiology
† Former members of Task Force
‡ Former Chair of Task Force
European Heart Journal (2003) 24, 1965–1991
0195-668X/03/$ - see front matter © 2003 American College of Cardiology Foundation and European Society of Cardiology. Published
by Elsevier Ltd.
doi:10.1016/S0195-668X(03)00479-2
Dual-chamber pacing ................................ 1976
Percutaneous alcohol septal ablation ............. 1977
Sudden Cardiac Death ................................... 1980
Risk stratification ..................................... 1980
Prevention ............................................. 1982
Athlete recommendations ........................... 1983
Atrial Fibrillation ......................................... 1984
References................................................. 1984
Preamble
This document has been developed as a Clinical Expert
Consensus Document (CECD), combining the resources of
the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF)
and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). It is
intended to provide a perspective on the current state of
management of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyo-
pathy. Clinical Expert Consensus Documents are intended
to inform practitioners, payers, and other interested
parties of the opinion of the ACCF and the ESC concerning
evolving areas of clinical practice and/or technologies
that are widely available or new to the practice com-
munity. Topics chosen for coverage by expert consensus
documents are so designed because the evidence base,
the experience with technology, and/or the clinical
practice are not considered sufficiently well developed
to be evaluated by the formal American College of
Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA)
Practice Guidelines process. Often the topic is the sub-
ject of considerable ongoing investigation. Thus, the
reader should view the CECD as the best attempt of the
ACC and the ESC to inform and guide clinical practice in
areas where rigorous evidence may not yet be available
or the evidence to date is not widely accepted. When
feasible, CECDs include indications or contraindications.
Some topics covered by CECDs will be addressed subse-
quently by the ACC/AHA Practice Guidelines Committee.
The Task Force on Clinical Expert Consensus Docu-
ments makes every effort to avoid any actual or potential
conflicts of interest that might arise as a result of an
outside relationship or personal interest of a member of
the writing panel. Specifically, all members of the writ-
ing panel are asked to provide disclosure statements of
all such relationships that might be perceived as real or
potential conflicts of interest to inform the writing
effort. These statements are reviewed by the parent task
force, reported orally to all members of the writing panel
at the first meeting, and updated as changes occur.
Robert A. Vogel, MD, FACC,
Chair, ACCF Task Force on Clinical Expert
Consensus Documents
Werner W. Klein, MD, FACC, FESC
Chair, ESC Committee for Practice Guidelines
Introduction
Organization of committee and evidence review
The Writing Committee consisted of acknowledged
experts in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) repre-
senting the American College of Cardiology Foundation
and the European Society of Cardiology. Both the
academic and private practice sectors were represented.
The document was reviewed by 2 official reviewers
nominated by the ACCF, 3 official reviewers were nomi-
nated by the ESC, 12 members of the ACCF Clinical
Electrophysiology Committee, and 4 additional content
reviewers nominated by the Writing Committee. The
document was approved for publication by the ACCF
Board of Trustees in August 2003 and the Board of ESC in
July 2003. This document will be considered current until
the Task Force on Clinical Expert Consensus Documents
revises or withdraws it from distribution. In addition to
the references cited as part of this document, a compre-
hensive bibliography including relevant, supplementary
references is available on the ACCF and ESC websites.
Purpose of this Expert Consensus Document
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a complex and relatively
common genetic cardiac disorder (about 1:500 in the
general adult population)1 that has been the subject of
intense scrutiny and investigation for over 40 years.2–15
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy affects men and women
equally and occurs in many races and countries, although
it appears to be under-diagnosed in women, minorities,
and under-served populations.16–20
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a particularly com-
mon cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young people
(including trained athletes)21–29 and may cause death
and disability in patients of all ages, although it is
also frequently compatible with normal longevity.30–35
Because of its heterogeneous clinical course and
expression,7,36–42 HCM frequently presents uncertainty
and represents a management dilemma to cardiovascular
specialists and other practitioners, particularly those
infrequently engaged in the evaluation of patients with
this disease.
Furthermore, with the recent introduction of novel
treatment strategies targeting subgroups of patients with
HCM,7,43–49 controversy is predictable, and difficult
questions periodically arise. Consequently, it is now par-
ticularly timely to clarify and place into perspective
those clinical issues relevant to the rapidly evolving
management for HCM.
General considerations and perspectives
This clinical scientific statement represents the con-
sensus of a panel of experts appointed by the ACC and
ESC. The writing group is comprised of cardiovascular
specialists and molecular biologists, each having
extensive experience with HCM. The panel focused
largely on the management of this complex disease and
derived prudent, practical, and contemporary treatment
strategies for the many subgroups of patients comprising
the broad HCM disease spectrum. Because of the rela-
tively low prevalence of HCM in general cardiologic
practice,50 its diverse presentation, and mechanisms of
death and disability and skewed patterns of patient
referral,7,11,13,36–38,42,51–59 the level of evidence govern-
ing management decisions for drugs or devices has often
been derived from non-randomized and retrospective
1966 B.J. Maron and W.J. McKenna
investigations. Large-scale controlled and randomized
study designs, such as those that have provided import-
ant answers regarding the management of coronary
artery disease (CAD) and congestive heart failure,60–62
have generally not been available in HCM as a result of
these factors. Therefore, treatment strategies have
necessarily evolved based on available data that have
frequently been observational in design, sometimes
obtained in relatively small patient groups, or derived
from the accumulated clinical experience of individual
investigators, and reasonable inferences drawn from
other cardiac diseases. Consequently, the construction of
strict clinical algorithms designed to assess prognosis and
dictate treatment decisions for all patients has been
challenging and has not yet achieved general agreement.
In some clinical situations, management decisions and
strategies unavoidably must be individualized to the
particular patient.
Understanding of the molecular basis, clinical course,
and treatment of HCM has increased substantially in the
last decade. In particular, there has been a growing
awareness of the clinical and molecular heterogeneity
characteristic of this disorder and the many patient sub-
groups that inevitably influence considerations for treat-
ment. Some of these management strategies are novel
and evolving, and this document cannot, in all instances,
convey definitive assessments of their role in the treat-
ment armamentarium. Also, for some uncommon subsets
within the broad disease spectrum, there are little data
currently available to definitively guide therapy. With
these considerations in mind, the panel has aspired to
create a document that is not only current and pertinent
but also has the potential to remain relevant for many
years.
Nomenclature, definitions, and clinical
diagnosis
The clinical diagnosis of HCM is established most easily
and reliably with two-dimensional echocardiography
by demonstrating left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH)
(typically asymmetric in distribution, and showing
virtually any diffuse or segmental pattern of left ven-
tricular (LV) wall thickening).36 Left ventricular wall
thickening is associated with a nondilated and hyper-
dynamic chamber (often with systolic cavity obliteration)
in the absence of another cardiac or systemic disease
(e.g., hypertension or aortic stenosis) capable of produc-
ing the magnitude of hypertrophy evident, and indepen-
dent of whether or not LV outflow obstruction is
present.1,5,7,36 Although the usual clinical diagnostic cri-
teria for HCM is a maximal wall thickness greater than or
equal to 15 mm, genotype-phenotype correlations have
shown that virtually any wall thickness (including those
within normal range) are compatible with the presence of
a HCM mutant gene.6,17,19,63–65 Mildly increased LV wall
thicknesses of 13 mm to 14 mm potentially due to HCM
should be distinguished from certain extreme expressions
of the physiologically-based athlete's heart.66–68 The ad-
vent of contemporary magnetic resonance imaging that
provides high-resolution tomographic images of the
entire LV may represent an additional diagnostic
modality69 particularly in the presence of technically
suboptimal echocardiographic studies or when segmental
hypertrophy is confined to unusual locations within the
LV wall.
Since the modern description by Teare in 1958,12 HCM
has been known by a confusing array of names that
largely reflect its clinical heterogeneity, relatively
uncommon occurrence in cardiologic practice, and the
skewed experience of early investigators. This problem in
nomenclature has been an obstacle to general recogni-
tion of the disease within the medical and non-medical
community. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (or HCM) is
now widely accepted as the preferred term7 because it
describes the overall disease spectrum without intro-
ducing misleading inferences that LV outflow tract
obstruction is an invariable feature of the disease, such
as is the case with hypertrophic obstructive cardio-
myopathy,70 muscular subaortic stenosis,71 or idiopathic
hypertrophic subaortic stenosis.72 Indeed, most patients
with HCM do not demonstrate outflow obstruction under
resting (basal) conditions, although many may develop
dynamic subaortic gradients of varying magnitude with
provocative maneuvers or agents.7,13,41,72–77 Of note,
even though the absence of obstruction (at rest) is com-
mon, both in patients with and without symptoms, most
treatment modalities have targeted those symptomatic
HCM patients with outflow obstruction.41,43–49,78–108
Obstruction to LV Outflow
It is of clinical importance to distinguish between the
obstructive or nonobstructive forms of HCM, based on the
presence or absence of a LV outflow gradient under
resting and/or provocable conditions.5,7,11,13,41,109,110
Indeed, in most patients, management strategies have
traditionally been tailored to the hemodynamic state.
Outflow gradients are responsible for a loud apical sys-
tolic ejection murmur associated with a constellation of
unique clinical signs,14,72,111 hypertrophy of the basal
portion of ventricular septum and small outflow tract,
and an enlarged and elongated mitral valve in many
patients.39,112–114 Obstruction may either be sub-
aortic13,71,72 or mid-cavity13,115 in location. Subaortic
obstruction is caused by systolic anterior motion (SAM) of
the mitral valve leaflets and mid-systolic contact with
the ventricular septum.13,71,113,116–119 This mechanical
impedance to outflow occurs in the presence of high
velocity ejection in which a variable proportion of the
forward blood flow may be ejected early in systole.120,121
Systolic anterior motion is probably attributable to a drag
effect117,122 or possibly a Venturi phenomenon13,118 and
is responsible not only for subaortic obstruction, but also
the concomitant mitral regurgitation (usually mild-to-
moderate in degree) due to incomplete leaflet apposi-
tion, which is typically directed posteriorly into the
left atrium.111,123 When the mitral regurgitation jet is
directed centrally or anteriorly into the left atrium, or if
multiple jets are present, independent abnormalities
intrinsic to the mitral valve should be suspected (e.g.,
myxomatous degeneration, mitral leaflet fibrosis, or
ACC/ESC Expert consensus document on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy 1967
anomalous papillary muscle insertion).13,91,115,124 Occa-
sionally (perhaps in 5% of cases), gradients and impeded
outflow are caused predominately by muscular apposi-
tion in the mid-cavity region—usually in the absence of
mitral-septal contact—involving anomalous direct inser-
tion of anterolateral papillary muscle into the anterior
mitral leaflet, or excessive mid-ventricular or papillary
muscle hypertrophy and malalignment.13,91,115
Although it has previously been subject to periodic
controversy,72,120,125,126 there is now widespread recog-
nition that the subaortic gradient (30 mm Hg or more)
and associated elevations in intra-cavity LV pressure
reflect true mechanical impedance to outflow and are of
pathophysiologic and prognostic importance to patients
with HCM.127,128 Indeed, outflow obstruction is a strong,
independent predictor of disease progression to HCM-
related death (relative risk vs. nonobstructed patients,
2.0), to severe symptoms of New York Heart Association
(NYHA) class III or IV, and to death due specifically to
heart failure and stroke (relative risk vs. nonobstructed
patients, 4.4).127 However, the likelihood of severe
symptoms and death from outflow tract obstruction
was not greater when the gradient was increased in
magnitude above the threshold of 30 mm Hg.127
Disease consequences related to chronic outflow
gradients are likely to be mediated by the resultant
increase in LV wall stress, myocardial ischemia and even-
tually cell death and replacement fibrosis.7,127,129 There-
fore, the presence of LV outflow obstruction justifies
intervention to reduce or abolish significant subaortic
gradients in severely symptomatic patients who are
refractory to maximum medical management.11,14,41,127
Obstruction in HCM is characteristically dynamic (i.e.,
not fixed): the magnitude (or even presence) of an out-
flow gradient may be spontaneously labile and vary con-
siderably with a number of physiologic alterations as
diverse as a heavy meal or ingestion of a small amount of
alcohol.72,73,109 Different gradient cut-offs have been
proposed for segregating individual patients into hemo-
dynamic subgroups, but rigorous partitioning into such
hemodynamic categories according to gradient can be
difficult because the unpredictable dynamic changes
that may occur in individual patients.72,73
Nevertheless, it is reasonable to divide the overall
HCM disease spectrum into hemodynamic subgroups,
based on the representative peak instantaneous gradi-
ent as assessed with continuous wave Doppler: 1)
obstructive gradient under basal (resting) conditions
equal to or greater than 30 mm Hg (2.7 m/s by Doppler),
2) latent (provocable) obstructive—gradient less than
30 mm Hg under basal conditions and equal to or greater
than 30 mm Hg with provocation 3) nonobstructive—less
than 30 mm Hg under both basal and (provocable) con-
ditions. By current clinical convention, LV outflow gradi-
ents are routinely measured noninvasively with
continuous wave Doppler echocardiography, generally
obviating the need for serial cardiac catheterizations in
this disease (except when atherosclerotic CAD or other
associated anomalies such as intrinsic valvular disease
are suspected).
It is important to underscore that a variety of inter-
ventions have been traditionally employed to elicit
latent (inducible) gradients in the echocardiography,
cardiac catheterization, and exercise laboratories (i.e.,
amyl nitrite inhalation, Valsalva