Long-term follow-up of medical versus surgical therapy for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a retrospective study 
 In a retrospective analysis 139 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were followed up for 8.9 years (range 1 to 28 years).
 Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 consisted of 60 patients with medical therapy and Group 2 of 79 patients with surgical therapy (septal myectomy).
 Groups 1 and 2 were subdivided according to the medical treatment.
 Group 1a received propranolol, 160 mg/day (n = 20); Group 1b verapamil, 360 mg/day (n = 18); and Group 1c, no therapy (n = 22).
 Group 2a received verapamil, 120 to 360 mg/day, after septal myectomy (n = 17) and Group 2b had no medical therapy after surgery (n = 62).
 In Group 1, 19 patients died (annual mortality rate 3.6%) and in Group 2, 17 patients died (mortality rate 2.4%, p = NS).
 Of the patients who died, approximately one half to two thirds in both Groups 1 and 2 died suddenly and the other one half to one third died because of congestive heart failure.
 The 10 year cumulative survival rate was 67% in Group 1, significantly smaller than that in Group 2 (84%, p less than 0.05).
 In the subgroups, the 10 year survival rate was 67% in Group 1a, 80% in 1b (p less than 0.05 versus 1a) and 65% in 1c (p less than 0.05 versus 1b).
 The 10 year survival rate was 100% in Group 2a (p less than 0.05 versus 1a, 1b, 1c) and 78% in Group 2b (p less than 0.05 versus 2a).
 It is concluded that cumulative survival rate is significantly better in surgically than in medically treated patients.
