Olivia Esposito • April 4, 2024
The Christ Hospital Health Network HCM Program – Cincinnati, OH

The HCMA is going on the road! We are holding our 1st in-person Bighearted Warriors Unite- Featuring The Christ Hospital & Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Where: The Summit Hotel – 5345 Medpace Way, Cincinnati, OH 45227

When:  Saturday, May 4, 2024 

Time:     9 am – 4 pm 

Cost:      Admission for 1 – $25.00

              Admission for 2 – $35.00

              Admission for 3 – $45.00

              Admission for 4 – $50.00

              (Breakfast & Lunch provided)

**NOTE: FREE OR DISCOUNTED SCHOLARSHIP ADMISSIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO QUALIFY FINANCIALLY.  CALL THE HCMA OFFICE FOR DETAILS (973)983-7429 OR EMAIL  SUPPORT@4HCM.ORG **

All proceeds go toward the HCMA Lori Fund!

The HCMA Lori Fund provides micro travel grants to HCM patients traveling to an HCMA Recognized Center of Excellence for care or HCM patients traveling to a facility for heart transplant care.  Awards up to $600.00 are available per calendar year. 

Our scholarship financial thresholds are based on household size and are generally three times the annual Federal Poverty Guidelines listed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

TENTATIVE AGENDA

9:00 am – Register (light breakfast provided)

9:45 am – Welcome address and opening comments from the HCMA

10:00 am- HCM Disease State Overview and Medical Therapeutics

10:30 am- Imaging in HCM

10:50 am – Future of HCM (Clinical Trials)

11:10 am – SCD Stratification/ HCM Arrhythmias

11:35 am – Q&A Panel

12:00 pm – Lunch Break (lunch provided)

1:05 pm – Generations of HCM – A Patient Perspective

1:25 pm – Surgical/ Intervention Therapies for HCM (historical and current)

1:45 pm – Genetic Testing and Future Therapeutics

2:15 pm – Pediatric HCM and Patient Journey to Adulthood (Cincinnati Children’s)

2:45 pm – Q&A Panel

3:00 pm – Closing remarks

The Christ Hospital HCM Clinic is a multidisciplinary cardiovascular program. The HCM Clinic provides patient-specific care and collaborates with subspecialties within the institution to address the complexity often associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  The Christ Hospital provides a team of subspecialized cardiologists, electrophysiologists, CT, and Vascular Surgeons with various advanced diagnostic services and treatments.  In addition, the HCM Clinic offers dedicated support staff, including a devoted physician’s assistant, registered nurse, HCM program coordinator, medical assistant, and HCM scheduler.  The mission of The Christ Hospital’s HCM program is that they are committed to providing the highest quality of care to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients in our community by forming personalized strategies to empower each patient along their clinical pathway. Their vision is to “Create a seamless and accessible pathway for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients.  The Christ Hospital HCM program is excited to be able to offer a nationally respected team of physicians and have at our patient’s disposal today’s most advanced therapies for the treatment and management of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.”

HCM Program Director Dr. Wojciech Mazur and HCM Program Co-Director Dr. Ankit Bhatia say, “Our HCM clinical team recognizes the uniqueness of each individual patient diagnosed with HCM. We truly pride ourselves in the time we spend getting to know more about their challenges and victories. Our working relationship with the HCMA has made us more aware of the needs of HCM patients, and we have modeled our program to address current gaps in HCM management. The Christ Hospital Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Clinic is the second center of excellence in the state of Ohio, which will now open up more opportunities for our community. We are excited to offer our patients the most up-to-date medical management as well as enrollment into ground-breaking research trials.” 

Team Members:

Wojciech Mazur, MD HCM Clinic Director

Ankit Bhatia, MD HCM Clinic Co-Director

J Michael Smith, MD Surgery

Dean Kereiakes, MD Interventional Cardiology

Puvi Seshiah, MD Interventional Cardiology

Edward Schloss, MD Electrophysiology

Daniel Pelchovitz, MD Electrophysiology

Gregory Egnaczyk, MD Advanced Heart Failure

Burns Blaxall, PHd Genetics

Courtney Hannum, LGC Genetics

Abigail Patterson, PA Physician Assistant

Cassady Palmer, Cardiac Research Sonographer

Please visit for more information about The Christ Hospital Health Network HCM Program –  Cincinnati, OH please visit:  https://4hcm.org/christhosp/

To learn more and register about the in-Person Bighearted Warriors Unite event, visit:  https://4hcm.org/inspire_events/in-person-bighearted-warriors-unite-featuring-the-christ-hospital-cincinnati-oh/
For more information on all HCMA Recognized Centers of Excellence, please visit  https://4hcm.org/center-of-excellence/.

HCMA Blog

Medical Management May

April 30, 2025
Medical Management means using medicines and other non-invasive therapies to relieve symptoms. It's exciting that new treatments for HCM are being studied and that the FDA approved Camzyos in 2022! HCM can cause various symptoms depending on how stiff the heart is, how much scarring (fibrosis) there is, and whether there is obstruction. Some people have no noticeable symptoms. Common symptoms are chest pain/pressure, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, fatigue, palpitations, and brain fog. Syncope (fainting) is dramatic but not as common as the other symptoms. Medications are the first-line treatment for symptoms of HCM. If patients can't take one class of medication, they can try a medication from a different class. Here are some medications used to treat HCM and what they're for: Beta Blockers - make your heart beat slower and relax better. They allow the heart to fill more completely between beats. They can lower blood pressure and relieve symptoms. Calcium Channel Blockers - used to lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate. May reduce symptoms from obstruction in HCM. Myosin Inhibitors - cause the heart to beat with less force. They may reduce obstruction and septal thickness in some patients. Camzyos (mavacamten) is the first of this class of medication. For more information, click HERE . Antiarrhythmics - help to restore normal rhythm in the heart. Blood Thinners - anticoagulants and anti-platelets make it harder for blood to clot. They are prescribed to reduce the risk of stroke. This risk is higher in patients with afib, aflutter, and artificial heart valves. Diuretics , or "water pills," help the kidneys get rid of extra water and salt, reducing swelling in the body. Sodium Channel Blockers - may reduce gradient in obstructive HCM and can treat chest pain. Some also act as antiarrhythmics. Antibiotics - treat or prevent bacterial infections. In HCM, they may be given before dental work to prevent infective endocarditis. To learn more and see the side effects of these medications, click HERE .
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