Thursday, 5 December 2024

 


     New effort to improve care for hidden heart disease


HCM is a thickening of the lower main pumping chamber of the heart (the left ventricle). The disease is often underdiagnosed and inconsistently managed, leading to delayed treatment, increased risk of complications and preventable death. Yet, systems of care for this disease are fragmented and varied.

To overcome these gaps in care, the American Heart Association, celebrating a century of lifesaving service in 2024, has launched a new three-year initiative to improve HCM systems of care and standardize how patients with HCM are identified, assessed, referred and treated.

The initiative, supported financially by Bristol Myers Squibb, includes development of:


    HCM is a chronic disease that can get worse over time and lead to poorer quality of life and long-term complications, including atrial fibrillation, stroke and heart failure. Knowing the signs and symptoms of HCM is important. It can help with getting an early diagnosis to support better management of the disease.

    Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can be an insidious disease, with some people having no obvious symptoms, while others may only feel symptoms with exercise or exertion,” said Andrew Wang, M.D., FAHA, American Heart Association volunteer, co-chair of the Association’s HCM Science Advisory Group and president of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Medical Society​, a collaborator on the initiative. “This new effort is the most recent aspect of the American Heart Association’s 100-year history of improving treatment, outcomes and quality of life for patients while supporting health care professionals in providing timely, guideline-directed diagnosis and treatment.”

    The new initiative will begin with 15 sites to pilot data collection and certification, with the goal of expanding to 60 sites. A volunteer American Heart Association Science Advisory Group will provide scientific expertise for development, maintenance and implementation of the registry, performance measures and recognition program. 

    “Building on our longstanding commitment to addressing the burden of cardiovascular disease, we are supporting the American Heart Association’s initiative aimed at establishing a unified approach to care for patients living with HCM,” said Cecilia Marta, vice president and head of U.S. Medical and Cardiovascular, Bristol Myers Squibb. “HCM can be a challenging disease to diagnose and manage, and we are dedicated to the goal of this initiative to improve outcomes for patients living with HCM.”

  • #HiddenHeartDisease
  • #HeartCareInnovation
  • #HeartHealthMatters
  • #EarlyDetection
  • #PreventHeartDisease
  • #CardiacCareRevolution
  • #HeartWellness
  • #HealthyHeartInitiative
  • #BetterHeartCare
  • International Research Awards on Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

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