Most individuals with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy have no symptoms. They are born with it and live with it for decades – even into their 70s and 80s – without it affecting their lifestyle in any way. The diagnosis might be made accidentally during routine tests.

Other patients are diagnosed with a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy after they have begun to experience symptoms, such as:

In a minority of severe cases, patients may also experience symptoms of heart failure, which may include one or more of the following:

In very rare instances, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can lead to sudden cardiac death, which sometimes can be the first and only sign of the disease. In fact, non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is believed to be a major cause of death in young athletes. According to the American Heart Association, 36 percent of young athletes who die from sudden cardiac death have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Depending on the severity of the disease, women with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may have an increase of symptoms (e.g., fatigue, shortness of breath) during pregnancy. The risk of mortality is very low, and typically applies to those with severe disease. For most women, though, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy should not interfere with a successful pregnancy and delivery.