The condition causes thickening of the heart fibers and often presents no symptoms.
A hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (CMH) is silent and affects the heart, causing an abnormal increase in the organ’s fibers, which ends up losing elasticity and having reduced blood flow. The disease may have been the cause of the death of 22-year-old bodybuilder, Gabriel Ganley, in the east zone of São Paulo.
Heart disease is often genetic and hereditary, but can be worsened with the use of anabolic steroids. There is no confirmation that he used synthetic substances for aesthetic purposes, however, the athlete had already spoken about its use in an interview for Flow Podcast, on October 27, 2025.
In the interview, Gabriel revealed his choice to “stop being natural” and that he understood that this could cause long-term damage to organs such as the liver and heart. Considered one of the greatest promises of the new generation of Brazilian bodybuilders, Ganley’s death was confirmed by his sponsor and security agencies in São Paulo. , on the morning of this Monday (25).
In a note, the State Secretariat for Public Security of São Paulo (SSP-SP), to which the Legal Medical Institute (IML) is subordinate, stated that The cause of the athlete’s death is still being investigated. “The aforementioned case is investigated through a police investigation opened in the 57th Police District (Parque da Mooca). The police authority carries out investigations and awaits the results of reports from the IML with a view to clarifying the facts.”
The disease
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease usually genetic in which the muscle fibers of the heart increase exaggeratedly in size, causing the organ walls become thicker (hypertrophied) than normal. The change occurs mainly in the left ventriclewhich is the chamber that pumps blood to the rest of the body, and in wall that divides the heart in halfcalled the septum.
As the walls of the organ thicken, the heart muscle becomes stifferlosing its elasticity. As a result, the heart has difficulty relaxing and filling with blood between one beat and the next. Another problem is the obstruction of blood flowwhich occurs in around 70% of cases, due to the increase in thickness of the septum, blocking the passage of blood towards the aorta artery, exit to the rest of the body.
Symptoms
CMH is known as a silent diseaseas many people can go their entire lives without feeling anything at all. However, when symptoms appear, the most common are:
- Shortness of breath or excessive tiredness during physical activities
- Chest pain or tightness
- Palpitations or a feeling of irregular rhythm in your heartbeat
- Unexplained dizziness and fainting.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in athletes under 35 years, as intense exercise requires the heart to pump more blood and work quickly. In a heart with HCM, this extreme effort, combined with factors such as dehydration or heat stress, can lead to cardiac arrest if immediate care is not provided.
Genetics
HCM is caused by mutations in genes responsible for proteins that make the heart muscle contract. One parent only needs to have the mutation for their child to have a 50% chance of inheriting the problem.. The standard recommendation is that when a patient is diagnosed, all first-degree relatives, such as parents, siblings and children, also undergo cardiological evaluation.
The diagnosis is made by a cardiologist through routine and imaging exams, such as echocardiogram, cardiac magnetic resonance, electrocardiogram and genetic testing.
