UAB Medicine is playing a key role nationally in advancing research and treatment for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), thanks in part to a new partnership with the American Heart Association and other U.S. hospitals. The Association is celebrating this effort by presenting UAB with a Get With The Guidelines® 2025 Innovator Award.
HCM is a chronic disease that causes the heart muscle to become abnormally thick, making it harder to pump blood to the rest of the body. It’s the most common form of inherited heart disease and can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, or gender.
The condition is often underdiagnosed and inconsistently managed. If left untreated, it can lead to an abnormal heart rhythm, heart failure, or even sudden death.
“It’s an important condition to recognize early and manage correctly, and up until a few years ago, we only had limited treatment options,” said UAB Cardiogenomics Clinic Program Director Pankaj Arora, M.D., FAHA, FASE.
Specialized clinic
In 2021, UAB Medicine launched its Cardiogenomics Clinic to advance research and treatment for inherited cardiovascular diseases like HCM. The clinic grew quickly and now provides patients with complete cardiovascular assessments that include special genetic testing, genomic counseling, and treatment plans.
“When you marry cardiology and genetics, you just don’t look at the person, you also look at their family,” Dr. Arora said. “And through genetic counseling, you can practice care that is very precise and deeply personal.”
In managing inherited heart conditions, Dr. Arora works closely with a team of cardiologists, genetic counselors, and experts in advanced cardiovascular imaging. This includes his wife, Garima Arora, M.D., MRCP, imaging director for the UAB Cardiovascular Institute and co-director of the cardiovascular genomics efforts at UAB Medicine.
Shaping care standards
As a leading hospital for treating HCM, UAB Medicine was selected as one of 15 sites to participate in the American Heart Association’s new HCM registry and serve as a model for treating the disease. This registry collects and analyzes patient data from medical centers around the country that treat HCM.
Dr. Pankaj Arora says the goals of the registry are to identify gaps between diagnosis and treatment, standardize care, and improve patient outcomes.
“This is our opportunity, institutionally, to help shape the standards of care nationally,” he said. “We’re very happy to be a part of this effort. Just like with any registry effort, it is going to be helpful to us as well, because we get to learn from other institutions.”
The Get With The Guidelines 2025 Innovator Award reflects UAB Medicine’s commitment to treating HCM and validates its contributions to research in this area.
“We have nurses, research coordinators, and advanced practitioners who are deeply passionate about improving the lives of these patients,” Dr. Pankaj Arora said. “So, for all of them to be recognized nationally, it motivates us and reminds us again that there’s a clear path forward.”To learn more, please visit the American Heart Association HCM Registry