OBJECTIVETo investigate the associations among clinical characteristics and prognosis in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

METHODSClinical and follow up data of 234 patients with HCM hospitalized in our institute from June, 1999 to March, 2006 were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSA total of 199 out of 234 patients (85%) were followed up for (31.7 +/- 22.6) months. Twenty-one patients died during follow-up, and HCM-related deaths occurred in 19 patients including 11 (57.9%) patients with cardiac arrest, 7 (36.8%) patients with heart failure, 1 patient with stroke. The non-cardiac deaths were 1 accident death and 1 death due to acute pancreatitis. The survival rates of all followed up patients at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years were 96.7%, 94.7%, 94.7%, 93.6% and 89.0%, respectively. Single risk factor analysis indicated that male gender, severe cardiac dysfunction, atrial fibrillation, sustained or non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (SVT or NSVT), left atrial enlargement, left ventricular outflow-track (LVOT) obstruction, family history were correlated with poor prognosis. Multifactor analysis showed SVT or NSVT (RR = 2.234, P < 0.001), NYHA class III - IV (RR = 1.964, P = 0.003) were independent risk factors for death. Among the cardio-cerebral death patients, echocardiography showed 14/19 (73.7%) Maron type III and 1/19 (5.2%) apical myocardial hypertrophy.

CONCLUSIONSA relative benign long-term prognosis was shown in this group of HCM patients. Patients with apical myocardial hypertrophy, SVT or NSVT, NYHA class III - IV were facing increased risk of deaths.