HCM - DEDICATED TO RAISING AWARENESS

A seemingly healthy young person suffers a sudden cardiac arrest every three days in the US and it’s the leading cause of death in exercising young athletes. In most cases of sudden cardiac arrest, cardiac abnormalities are not detected, there are no warning signs, and unless a normal heart rhythm is restored within minutes, death is the end result.

 

 

Lars Knepper was a  loving young man who lived life to the fullest. Everyone who got the privilege to know him knew him to be a loyal friend, competitive baseball player, golfer, fisherman, loving partner, supportive family member, and someone who just soaked up life and played big. Lars recently became engaged to the love of his life, Shana, and they were both looking forward to building a family and home in Florida. We were all excited to watching him grow into the man he was becoming.

That's why it came as such a shock when we woke up to the news of his sudden passing on February 4th, 2015. Lars passed away from Sudden Cardiac Arrest brought on by Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) in the middle of the night—he was only 28 years old. As we began to learn more about his condition it became evident that this type of heart condition affects many people but it isn't a disease most people have ever heard of, much less know how to live with. It is genetic and tends to affect young and athletic people who appear to be healthy (as was the case of Lars). Unfortunately, the first sign of this condition can also be the last—Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

That is why we created this website. We want you to be educated and encourage you to take the time, talk to your doctor and get your heart examined. Encourage your family and friends to get checked out too. Catching it early is your best bet in taking preventative measures and adjusting your lifestyle.

Lars lived life fully with the short time he was here. His motto was: Happiness For Life. We hope that in his honor we can inspire you to not only live and love fully, but to also stay healthy so that the dreams you have for you and your family can be lived out to completion.

 

 

Hypertropic CardioMyopathy (Synopsis)

Common knowledge about Heart Attacks and their causes and effects is far greater than the awareness of Sudden Cardia Death caused by HCM. Whereas most people who have this condition can go on living normal lives, for others it is a ticking timebomb—its first symptoms can be your last. The main abnormality of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an excessive thickening of the heart muscle (hypertrophy literally means to thicken). 

• HCM is the most common cause of heart-related sudden death in people under 30 years of age

• It occurs in 1 out of 500 people. An estimated 600,000 Americans are living with the disease

• 300,000 Americans die from Sudden Cardiac Arrest each year, more than from lung, breast, prostate cancer and AIDS combined.

 

Cause of HCM

HCM is mainly inherited due to a genetic abnormality coded into the characteristics for the heart muscle.

Although the genetic mutation responsible for HCM is present at birth, it usually develops as children grow into adults, after puberty. 

 

Arrhythmias

The abnormality of the heart muscle in people with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy can sometimes interfere with the normal electrical activity of the heart. In the affected parts of the heart muscle, the electrical impulse may become disrupted as it crosses the areas of disarrayed cells and scarring. This can lead to fast or erratic heart rhythms known as arrhythmias. The two most common arrhythmias in people with this condition are atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia.

 

 Atrial Fibrillation—The atria (the two upper chambers of the heart) beat irregularly and very fast.
This can lead to feelings of palpitations or fluttering in the chest. The condition can usually be controlled with medication

 

Ventricular Tachycardias—These are arrhythmias that affect the ventricles—the lower pumping chambers of the heart. The ventricles take over the heartbeat independently of the heart's natural pacemaker, leading to a rapid heartbeat. Ventricular tachycardias can be controlled with medication but they can sometimes lead to life-threatening arrhythmias, and the risk of sudden death, called a cardiac arrest. This is different from a ‘heart attack’, which happens when one of the coronary arteries that supplies the heart with blood becomes blocked and the heart muscle is starved of oxygen. 

 

Medical Examination

Doctors will perform general tests like an ECG (ElectroCardio Gram) to look at the electrical rhythm of the heart as well as a chest x-ray. Studies show that ECGs have a greater than 90% accuracy rate but may not show abnormalities. The most important special test is an Echocardiogram to confirm if Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is present. Further tests may be performed to find out how thick the muscle is and how much of it is affected. 

 

Treatment

Procedures for the treatment of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy include septal myectomy, ethanol ablation, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and heart failure management, as needed.