Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common genetic cardiovascular disease 
that affects the left ventricle. HCM can appear at any age, with the majority of 
the patients remaining clinically stable. When patients complain of symptoms, 
these include: dyspnea, dizziness, syncope and angina. HCM can lead to sudden 
cardiac death (SCD), mainly due to ventricular tachyarrhythmia or ventricular 
tachycardia. High-risk patients benefit from implantable 
cardioverter-defibrillators. Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction is not a 
rare feature in HCM, especially in symptomatic patients, and procedures that 
abolish that obstruction provide positive and consistent results that can 
improve long-term survival. HCM is the most common cause of sudden death in 
young competitive athletes and preparticipation screening programs have to be 
implemented to avoid these tragic fatalities. The structure of these programs is 
a matter of large debate. Worldwide registries are necessary to identify the 
full extent of HCM-related SCD.