# Social Determinants of Health and Clinical Outcomes in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

## TL;DR

This study finds that living in areas with lower income or higher deprivation is linked to worse heart outcomes in people with a genetic heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

## Contribution

The study is the first to show that social factors, not just genetics, influence outcomes in a genetic heart disease.

## Key findings

- Lower median household income is associated with a higher risk of heart failure and worse overall outcomes in HCM patients.
- Higher social deprivation index correlates with increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias and composite adverse outcomes.
- Despite HCM's genetic basis, area-based social determinants significantly impact clinical outcomes.

## Abstract

Are area-based social determinants of health (SDOH) associated with cardiovascular outcomes in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)?

In this cohort study that included 4431 adult patients with HCM, residing in an area with either lower median household income or worse social deprivation index was significantly associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes (heart failure, ventricular and atrial arrhythmias, stroke, and death).

Area-based SDOH may be useful for risk assessment in patients with HCM and may inform strategies to reduce health disparities and improve outcomes.

Area-based indicators of social determinants of health (SDOH) are associated with higher risk for acquired heart disease, but their impact on conditions with a strong genetic etiology, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), is not well understood.

To determine the association of area-based SDOH with clinical outcomes in patients with HCM.

This multicenter, prospective cohort study was conducted among US adult patients with HCM from 5 sites in the Sarcomeric Human Cardiomyopathy Registry (a multicenter prospective registry of patients with HCM) who were followed up for a median (IQR) period of 2.15 (0.15-5.82) years. Data were entered from 2015 to March 2024, and data analysis was completed from March 2024 to June 2025.

Patients’ residential addresses were geocoded at the zip code level and linked to the American Communities Survey to estimate area-based (1) median household income and (2) social deprivation index (SDI), which ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating a more deprived area.

Multivariate models, adjusting for age at diagnosis, body mass index, hypertension, and sex, were used to estimate the independent association of area-based median household income and SDI with heart failure (HF), ventricular arrhythmias (VA), and an overall composite outcome (VA, HF, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and death).

Among 4431 US adult patients with HCM, median (IQR) age at HCM diagnosis was 51.3 (38.9-61.6) years, and 1862 patients (42.0%) were female. Median (IQR) area-based household income was $80 000 ($60 000-$110 000), and median (IQR) SDI was 25 (10-55). Adjusted hazard ratios comparing the lowest income group to the highest income group were 2.07 (95% CI, 1.77-2.42; P < .001) for HF, 1.31 (95% CI, 0.97-1.78; P = .08) for VA, and 1.52 (95% CI, 1.36-1.69; P < .001) for the overall composite outcome. Adjusted hazard ratios comparing the highest SDI (ie, more deprived) group to the lowest SDI group were 1.48 (95% CI, 1.29-1.70; P < .001) for HF, 1.55 (95% CI, 1.15-2.09; P = .004) for VA, and 1.36 (95% CI, 1.22-1.50; P < .001) for the overall composite outcome.

In this multicenter cohort study, residing in an area with lower median household income or worse SDI were each independently associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with HCM. These findings suggest that despite the genetically determined nature of HCM, place of residence is associated with patient outcomes.

This cohort study using data from the Sarcomeric Human Cardiomyopathy Registry determines the association of area-based social determinants of health with clinical outcomes in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.