Introduction and objectives: Obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM), whose symptoms range from dyspnea to heart failure or sudden cardiac death, accounts for approximately 70% of all hypertrophic cardiomyopathy cases. This study aimed to analyze the lack of comprehensive data on oHCM management and determine its clinical and economic burden in Spain.

Methods: This retrospective observational study, based on electronic medical records (BIG-PAC), enrolled adults from January 1, 2014, to October 31, 2022, from the time of HCM diagnosis. The analysis focused on epidemiology, patient characteristics and management, transitions between New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classes, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and associated costs.

Results: A total of 752 oHCM patients were included (mean age: 63 years; male: 57.6%). NYHA functional classification at diagnosis was as follows: 12% NYHA-I, 47.9% NYHA-II, 31.5% NYHA-III, and 8.6% NYHA-IV. The prevalence of HCM and oHCM was 28 and 7 per 10 000 individuals, respectively. Patients received a mean of 2.4 (SD 1.5) treatments, mainly beta-blockers. Only patients in NYHA classes III and IV underwent septal reduction therapies (SRT) (13.1% and 47.7%, respectively); 38.7% and 35.5% of NYHA-III and -IV patients who received SRT, respectively, improved to a lower NYHA class. Symptom severity, as measured by NYHA class, was associated with increased rates of hospitalization, cardiovascular events, mortality, and higher HCRU and costs. Mean annualized, direct, adjusted health care costs ranged from euro4142 (95%CI: euro3110-euro5175) in NYHA-I to euro16 677 (95%CI: euro15 482-euro17 872) in NYHA-IV.

Conclusions: This is the first Spanish study to evaluate oHCM patient management and to demonstrate its impact in terms of increased hospitalizations, mortality, HCRU, and healthcare costs—trends that parallel the progression of symptoms by NYHA functional class. Patients who underwent SRT showed partial symptom improvement.