EFFECTS OF OCTREOTIDE IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTROPHIC OBSTRUCTIVE CARDIOMYOPATHY

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM), the cause of which is unknown, is a heart disease characterized by obstruction of the left v entricular outflow tract and an increase in interventricular septum th ickness. Octreotide, a synthetic analogue of somatostatin, was adminis tered subcutaneously to 15 patients for 6 months in order to determine its efficacy in HOCM. Echocardiographic examination was performed in each patient before we had initiated treatment and after treatment. In terventricular septum thickness, interventricular septum thickness/lef t ventricular posterior wall thickness, and subaortic gradient decreas ed significantly at the end of treatment. The ratio of the mitral valv e E to A waves increased significantly. We observed that octreotide tr eatment caused a significant decrease in interventricular septum thick ness and subaortic pressure gradient. Before and after therapy left ve ntricular enddiastolic diameter, left ventricular endsystolic diameter , ejection fraction and fractional shortening were not changed. No adv erse effect was observed during the therapy. According to our results, octreotide has some beneficial effects on HOCM and it seems to be a n ew therapeutic approach for HOCM.