Skip to Navigation
University of Pittsburgh
Print This Page Print this pages

April 1, 2010

UPMC sets up specialized heart treatment center

UPMC has established a center to treat patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a condition in which the heart muscle is abnormally thick without apparent cause.

Recognizing the need for a coordinated approach to treat this complex disease, the UPMC Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center provides a central location for patients and families to receive HCM services including genetic counseling, cardiac imaging, stress testing, nutritional consultation and psychological care.

Symptoms of HCM include chest pain, dizziness, fainting, high blood pressure, heart palpitations and shortness of breath, symptoms that often are mistaken for other conditions, such as asthma, anxiety, depression or other cardiac problems. Extreme cases of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may lead to heart failure or even sudden death. However, most patients do not experience any symptoms and do not know that they have the disease.

“Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a genetic disease that affects more than 600,000 people in the United States, but only 20 percent of these individuals know that they have it,” said Joon Sup Lee, clinical director, UPMC Cardiovascular Institute. “It occurs in people of all ages, but it’s the leading cause of cardiac death in young athletes.”

UPMC’s Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center has locations at UPMC Presbyterian and Children’s Hospital, offering both adult and pediatric patients access to HCM care in collaboration with their personal cardiologists.

To schedule an appointment, call 412/647-6000. For other questions, call 1-877/426-8762 or email HCMCenter@upmc.edu.


Leave a Reply