title: Importance and feasibility of creating hypertrophic cardiomyopathy centers in developing countries: the experience in India.
abstract: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) is a relatively common genetic heart disease responsible for mortality and morbidity at all ages. Using contemporary treatment advances, such as implantable defibrillators, surgical myectomy, heart transplant, and modern defibrillation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, it is now possible to reduce HC-related mortality considerably to 0.5% per year, less than expected in the general US adult population. However, in much of the developing world, HC has not yet become a priority given the many other cardiac conditions, such as coronary artery disease and systemic hypertension, so prevalent in the most populous countries such as China and India. Management of HC is best achieved in dedicated centers within institutions, such as previously demonstrated in the United States, Canada, some European countries, and Australia. This model has recently been introduced for the first time in India at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Kochi, Kerala, in which a robust program focused on HC has emerged. This novel initiative, created despite the many obstacles in the Indian health care system, is an important step forward and is reported here detail.
authors.affiliation: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Barry J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Maron
mesh_terms: D002309:Cardiology; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D003906:Developing Countries; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006782:Hospitals, Special / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence