Alcohol Septal Ablation May Be Beneficial for Ventricular Flow in Fabry Disease Cardiomyopathy

Alcohol septal ablation is an effective therapy for patients with Fabry disease and left ventricular hypertrophy, according to results of a new study.

Since Fabry disease often presents as left ventricular hypertrophy, the researchers aimed to determine whether alcohol septal ablation would be an effective therapy.

For their study, the researchers evaluated 6 men with genetically confirmed Fabry disease and symptomatic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, all of whom underwent a transcatheter alcohol septal ablation.

Results showed a substantial reduction in symptoms, including a reduction in left ventricular outflow tract maximal pressure gradient. These results persisted through follow-up, which ranged from 6 months to 16 years.

“In conclusion, alcohol septal ablation appears to be effective in the treatment of [left ventricular outflow tract obstruction] in patients with [Fabry disease] and appears to be comparable to the limited published experience with surgical septal myectomy,” the researchers wrote.

“Despite some important differences between [Fabry disease hypertrophic cardiomyopathy] and sarcomeric [hypertrophic cardiomyopathy], the recommendation for treating [left ventricular outflow tract obstruction] should be similar.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference

Zemánek D, Marek J, Dostálová G, et al. Usefulness of alcohol septal ablation in the left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in fabry disease cardiomyopathy. Am J Cardiol. 2021;150:110-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2021.03.042