Probing the causes of sudden death in people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Assessment of coronary haemodynamics and the mechanisms of perfusion abnormalities and chest pain in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Dr Sanjay Prasad and his team have been awarded a grant to understand the inherited condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This heart problem affects one in 500 people and is the most common cause of sudden death in young people. People with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy often have abnormal blood flow to the heart, which can cause chest pain and may make them at greater risk of sudden death. The team will assess patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using sophisticated heart imaging and monitoring techniques (one of which is non-invasive MRI scanning). This will enable them to monitor the amount of blood getting to the heart. This is important because understanding what causes abnormalities of blood flow to the heart will hopefully allow the development of treatments for this condition.