Many patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy participate in thrill-seeking activities without harmful effects, researchers report.

Yale University researchers used an anonymous online survey to examine how often people with the condition participated in thrill-seeking activities, including riding roller-coasters, jet-skiing, sky-diving and bungee-jumping.

Among the nearly 650 patients (mean age 51) who completed the survey, 88% reported having participated in at least one of these activities in their adult life.

Fifty-one per cent participated both before and after their diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 40% participated only before being diagnosed and 9% participated only after being diagnosed with the condition, the researchers reported in the American Heart Journal.