Medications

Medications are often used to ease symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and prevent complications. These medications, including beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, heart rhythm drugs (also called anti-arrhythmic drugs), and blood thinners, can help:

• Relax the heart muscle, letting it fill and pump better
• Steady or slow your heart rate or rhythm
• Prevent blood clots from forming
• Reduce chest pain

Cardiac myosin inhibitors are a new class of medicines used to treat symptoms of obstructive HCM, which happen when the thickened part of the heart muscle blocks or reduces oxygen-rich blood flow out of the heart. These medicines can help ease symptoms and improve how much exercise someone is able to do. They include:

• Aficamten
• Mavacamten

These medicines work by reducing the connections between muscle fibers (motor units) in the heart that are working too hard. This helps lessen the force with which the heart muscle contracts. Regular echocardiograms are needed to monitor heart function. Heart testing can help ensure that the medication is not preventing too many of these fibers (motor units) from working.

It’s best to talk with your care team to find out if you might benefit from taking this medicine and which one may be best for you.

Remember that your medications work only if you take them as prescribed. Some medicines will be started at a low dose (amount), and higher doses may be needed over time.

Work together with your care team to decide on the best treatment path for you. In most cases, medications and lifestyle changes are all the treatment you need to support your overall health.