Will Elevated Left Ventricle Filling Pressures Decrease by a Group Exercise Program in Patients With Hypertrophic CardioMyopathy?

Overview

Aims and objectives: The primary objective of this study is to assess whether a structured exercise program improves cardiac relaxing properties in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Background: HCM is a hereditary disease in which the myocardium becomes thickened without an identifiable cause (other than genetic). It is the most common genetic cardiovascular disease with an estimated prevalence of 1/500 (i.e. 10.000 affected individuals in Denmark). The majority of patients with HCM suffers from shortness of breath and reduced exercise capacity due to increased left ventricular (LV) stiffness. Exercise training has been shown to improve exercise capacity and symptoms in patients with HCM, but the mechanisms responsible for this improvement are not known. Methods and materials: The study is a randomized, single blinded, prospective, controlled clinical trial. Eighty patients are recruited from outpatient clinics in the Capital Region of Denmark. Patients are randomized in a 1:1 ratio to 12 week of moderate-intensity exercise training or usual activity level. Assessments will include right heart catheterization, echocardiography, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, blood-samples, quality of life, and, in a subgroup of patients, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The primary end-point is change in LV filling pressure assessed as pulmonary capillary wedge pressure at 25 W workload. Expected outcome and perspectives: The investigators hypothesize that an exercise training program will reduce cardiac stiffness and improve symptoms in patients with HCM. Training of HCM patients has long been debated and the topic is poorly researched. The effects of exercise on hemodynamics in HCM patients are unknown and a better understanding of these mechanisms is pivotal for improving treatment.