Echocardiographic characteristics predicting efficacy of drug therapy in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

Background: The efficacy of long-term drug therapy for patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) remains unclear. This study was performed to characterize the echocardiographic findings of patients responsive to drug therapy.

Methods: Left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradient and morphologic characteristics of the septum, posterior wall, and mitral valve were measured echocardiographically in 35 Japanese patients.