Exercise Oscillatory Ventilation: A Potential New Risk Factor for Sudden Cardiac Death in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Other than the traditional risk factors for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) - detected by means of anamnesis, Holter monitoring, exercise testing, echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging - exercise oscillatory ventilation (EOV), detected by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), has recently been observed in patients with HCM. EOV is considered as one of the most important independent risk factors for morbidity, mortality and SCD in patients with reduced, as well as with preserved ejection fraction. Considering HCM as a prototype of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, we would like to present a short, specific review concerning EOV as a potential new risk factor for SCD in HCM.