T-Wave Microalternans in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: The Complexity of an Inherited Cardiac Condition with Multiple Phenotypic Expressions

The fact that ventricular tachyarrhythmia is the most frequent cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in cardiomyopathies (CM) does not mean that all CM exhibit similar structural and functional alterations that, identified in advance, for example, by analyzing changes in ventricular depolarization and repolarization, may collaborate in the primary prevention of SCD.

In the current edition of ABC Cardiol, Antunes et al. reveals that altered T-wave alternans (TWA) is not associated with SCD and/or malignant ventricular arrhythmias in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients. This suggests that diagnostic methods used for non-ischemic cardiomyopathies (NICM). stratification may not universally apply across a heterogeneous set of pathologies.

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