The authors of a study published in The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery evaluated age-related differences in clinical features and surgical outcomes among patients with obstructive HCM undergoing transaortic septal myectomy between 2000 and 2021. The study included 2,663 patients, categorized into three age groups: 18-64, 65-74, and greater than or equal to 75 years. Older patients were often women (P<0.001) and had higher rates of hypertension (P<0.001) and diabetes (P=0.004) but had similar functional limitations (NYHA class) when compared with younger patients (P=0.092). Older patients also had thinner septal and posterior walls, less prominent asymmetry (P<0.001), and were less likely to have positive genetic tests. Hospital mortality was 0.2%, 0.5%, and 1.3% for patients less than 65, 65-74, and greater than or equal to 75 years (P=0.06), with 5-year survival rates of 97%, 93%, and 91%, respectively. Septal-to-posterior wall thickness ratio was linked to higher mortality in patients greater than 65, but not in those less than 65 (P=0.92). The researchers concluded that myectomy improved QOL, and their findings indicate it is safe for older patients despite differing morphological features.