Cleveland Clinic

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) affects an estimated 600,000 to 1.5 million Americans, or one in 500 people. It is a complex type of heart disease that affects the heart muscle, causing thickening of the heart muscle, left ventricular stiffness, mitral valve changes and cellular changes. HCM can be inherited or acquired as a result of high blood pressure or aging. However, often, the cause of hypertrophy is difficult to identify. While many people with HCM live a normal life and do not experience health-related problems, some may develop heart conditions, such as sudden cardiac arrest or heart failure, which can shorten or decrease quality of life. HCM is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in people under age 30 and is often associated with cardiac arrest and death in young professional athletes.

The Cleveland Clinic Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center is a multidisciplinary specialty treatment group dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment HCM in individuals and family members. We bring together clinicians that specialize in HCM, including physicians and nurses from Cardiovascular Medicine, Genetics, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Pediatric Cardiology, and Psychology with expertise in diagnostic and genetic testing, medical management, and interventional and surgical procedures for patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Take this opportunity to learn more about hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, including diagnoses and treatment, and have your questions answered in a secure online setting with Dr. Harry Lever from the Cleveland Clinic.

About Dr. Lever

Dr. Lever is a cardiologist in the Section of Cardiovascular Imaging and Director of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center in the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Lever specializes in echocardiography and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and has one of the largest practices in the country for the treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Dr. Lever, who is board-certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease, is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Chest Physicians and the American Heart Association. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, he completed his residency at Montefiore Hospital in Pittsburgh and his fellowship in cardiology at the University of Rochester in New York.