Earlier this year at 76 years young, Marlene Walbek wasn’t at all feeling young at heart. For years, she had battled atrial fibrillation, heart failure and high blood pressure. Unfortunately, Marlene’s symptoms started to progress — and her quality of life was deteriorating quickly due to extreme shortness of breath.

She went from spending time with her husband and family, running basic errands and living an active life to becoming nearly bedridden. By the spring of 2022, Marlene rarely left her chair and struggled to get up and walk to the kitchen or bathroom without gasping for breath. She knew it was time to get help.

A long-time patient of Pavlo Netrebko, MD, with Cary Cardiology, she explained her symptoms and underwent significant testing — including a stress test, nuclear testing, cardiac catheterization and more.

A Scary Diagnosis

She was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which is a genetic condition that is usually caused by changes that cause the heart muscle to thicken. A thickened heart muscle makes it difficult for the blood to leave the heart and get to the rest of the body — which can lead to fatigue and shortness of breath, among a host of other symptoms. For some patients, it causes no symptoms and can lead to sudden cardiac death.

A Referral to Dr. Stuart Russell of WakeMed Advanced Heart Failure

Her symptoms had become so severe that Dr. Netrebko referred Marlene to Stuart Russell, MD, with WakeMed’s Advanced Heart Failure team.

“When I referred Marlene to Dr. Russell, she was suffering from the most advanced stage of heart failure (Class IV), and her quality of life was extremely limited,” explains Dr. Netrebko. “I knew we needed to get her treated quickly to avoid further deterioration or complications.”

By that time, Marlene’s HCM was causing such severe shortness of breath that her care team was considering drastic intervention — they were initially planning to refer her for an open heart surgery known as a septal myectomy.

This procedure involves removing the thickened part of the heart’s septum and often a valve repair. While this approach would have offered Marlene the relief she desperately wanted, open heart surgery always comes with risks — not to mention a significant recovery period. They could all agree this wasn’t an ideal option.

A Promising New Medication

Fortunately for Marlene, in May, the FDA-approved a new medication — the first of its kind for the treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Camzyos® (mavacamten) is part of a new class of medications used to treat adults with HCM by directly targeting the proteins that cause the heart to contract. After further evaluation, Drs. Netrebko and Russell agreed it offered a promising treatment alternative to open heart surgery for Marlene.

Dr. Russell prescribed the medication in June. After just three months, Marlene’s symptoms had drastically improved. She went from struggling to get out of her chair to being able to perform chores around the house and go shopping without struggling to breathe.

Dr. Netrebko says Marlene’s heart failure has improved from Class IV to Class II — marking significant progress in her ability to get around and remain active. While she still has shortness of breath, Marlene is feeling significantly better on the new medication.

“Marlene’s story is a great example of how WakeMed Heart & Vascular is on the leading edge of applying new and emerging therapies,” explains Dr. Russell. “In this instance, our collaborative and innovative treatment approach helped her avoid a major surgery — which is always in a patient’s best interest.”

Today, Marlene is thrilled to be able to clean her own house and get out of the house with her husband again.

“I’m so grateful for my doctors and nurses who worked so hard to find out what was going on — I call myself their ‘problem child,’ but they stuck with me and found a treatment that allowed me to avoid surgery,” Marlene shares.

Nearly a year later, she looks forward to the holidays and spending quality time with her children and grandchildren.

This article is a reprint from Heart to Heart Magazine. Subscribe today for your free copy.