Genetic Heart Disorders

Genetic Heart Disorders

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Treatment

The Program in Cardiovascular Genetics at UCSF has specialized clinics to help patients and their family members with genetic heart conditions.

Familial Cardiomyopathy Clinic

The UCSF Familial Cardiomyopathy Clinic cares for individuals and families with familial cardiomyopathies including hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and familial dilated cardiomyopathy.

In this clinic, individuals with cardiomyopathies and their family members can be evaluated and treated. The philosophy of the program is to provide the best care for cardiomyopathy patients and their families through a team of experts who can help with the diagnosis of the individual patient, provide expert disease management and family outreach.

HCM is an inherited disease of the heart muscle. HCM can cause the wall of the heart muscle to thicken. When the walls get too thick, the heart muscle functions inefficiently, causing some patients to have obstruction to blood flow from the heart. HCM is also associated with abnormal heart rhythms, which can sometimes be life threatening.

Marfan Clinic

Through this clinic, individuals who have, or may have Marfan syndrome can be evaluated and cared for by all the different specialists they need, in a coordinated manner, on one day. Since Marfan syndrome is a genetic condition that can affect the heart, the eyes, and the spine, people with Marfan syndrome need to seen doctors in genetics, ophthalmology, orthopedics and cardiology. The team of specialists evaulates and treats families with Marfan syndrome and other diseases of the aorta.

Marfan syndrome is a rare, inherited disorder of the connective tissue. Since connective tissue is found throughout the body, the disease affects several different parts of the body, including the heart and blood vessels, bones, joints and eyes.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated February 19, 2008