A fter the recent celebrations of the 50 th anniversary of the modern description of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) by Teare and Lord Brock, the time is ripe to reflect on what remains to be discovered. [1][2][3] With the full realization that a massive amount of information relating to the disease has already been uncovered, and paying tribute to all those involved in this process, it is essential to concentrate on the gaps in our knowledge that require concerted efforts to advance the field, particularly in relation to patient management, which continues to be perceived as less than optimal. 3 We believe that this is largely due to the partial disconnect between basic research, and an incomplete understanding of the fundamental mechanisms molding a continuously, often insidiously changing phenotype. A thorough comprehension of these processes requires a translational approach based on long-term clinical observation of large HCM cohorts, coupled with basic scientific research, and represents an essential step toward the development of innovative therapies which need to be both disease-and patient-specific.
2,3Traditionally, the focus of HCM literature has been polarized on 2 aspects of indisputable clinical relevance: the pathogenesis, clinical consequences, and management of dynamic left ventricular (LV) outflow obstruction, 1 and the issue of arrhythmic risk stratification and prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD).4,5 By comparison, limited attention has been devoted to the life-long process of LV remodeling and progressive dysfunction that occur in a substantial proportion of HCM patients and culminates in the rare but dramatic clinical evolution termed as end-stage or burned-out phase.6-9 Consequently, the stages that precede this severe condition are still relatively unknown, representing an important target for research.3 Indeed, because of the slowly evolving nature of HCM, timely identification of patients at risk of developing advanced LV dysfunction and heart failure (HF) may allow effective preventive strategies over a time span of several years before clinical demise. [7][8][9] To aid the characterization of different phases of HCM in individual patients, we propose a simple framework for systematic clinical staging of the disease. To this purpose, 4 clinical stages are identified, with special emphasis on diagnosis, potential mechanisms, challenges for management, and targets for future investigation: these are defined as nonhypertrophic HCM, classic phenotype, adverse remodeling, and overt dysfunction (Figure 1 and Table). 3,6,7,10 Stage I: Nonhypertrophic HCM
Definition and DiagnosisNonhypertrophic HCM is a state characterized by the absence of LV hypertrophy in individuals harboring HCM-causing mutations, investigated in the course of systematic family screenings. In most HCM patients, a hypertrophic phenotype is generally absent in newborn or very young children, and tends to manifest during the second decade of life.7,10,11 Due to incomplete penetrance and age-related onset, however, gen...