Heart failure & cardiomyopathies

Redefining the Genetic Architecture of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Role of Intermediate-Effect Variants

CirculationPublished Genetic case-control and cohort study

Authors' conclusion

IEVs are present in 6.1% of HCM cases and account for 4.8% of HCM genetic burden. IEVs also influence disease severity and outcomes, particularly when combined with monogenic disease-causing variants.

Study context

Population
Patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM); controls of European ancestry and gnomAD non-Finnish EuropeansHCM cases, whole cohort
Participants
11,991 patients
Comparison
IEV carriers vs genotype-negative HCM patients; monogenic+IEV vs monogenic only
  • Isolated IEVn = 570
Outcome
IEV prevalence and population-attributable fraction
Methodological detailsancestry-based enrichment analysis
  • Ancestry-based enrichment analysis

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

Individuals with intermediate-effect variants (IEVs) (14 IEVs in 8 genes)
731 (6.1% of the cohort)
Isolated IEV carriers
570 (4.8%)
Isolated IEVs in sarcomeric genes
198 (34.7%)
Isolated IEVs in nonsarcomeric genes
372 (65.3%)
Population-attributable fraction of IEVs
4.9% (95% CI, 3.2-6.7)

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

Median age at diagnosis

P = 0.0073

LV maximum wall thickness · mean 18.1±3.7 versus 19.0±4.3; higher in IEV carriers
P = 0.0043
MACE-free survival at 70 years · 70 years of age — Monogenic+IEV: younger HCM onset and higher LV maximum wall thickness vs monogenic only · Monogenic+IEV vs Monogenic · 93.3% versus 69.3%; significantly lower with monogenic+IEV
all P<0.0001 · P < 0.0001

MACE-free survival at 70 years · 70 years of age

Significant gradient in penetrance, phenotypic severity and MACE across genetic groups

Original publication

Redefining the Genetic Architecture of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Role of Intermediate-Effect Variants. Circulation. Published 29 August 2025. doi:10.1161/circulationaha.125.074529

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