ATTR-CM hides as common heart issues: early detection saves liv…



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Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a life-threatening disease that disguises itself as common heart conditions. It occurs when a normally occurring protein called transthyretin becomes unstable, breaks apart, and forms clusters called amyloid fibrils. Deposition of amyloid fibrils causes stiffening of heart tissue, leading to heart failure. While it can run in families (hereditary ATTR-CM), it can also occur in people without a family history (wild-type ATTR-CM).

The hereditary type of ATTR-CM manifests in one’s 40s or 50s, while the wild type is usually detected after the age of 70. Symptoms are similar to heart failure such as shortness of breath, swelling in legs and belly, chest pain, arrythmias, atrial fibrillation, lightheadedness, and loss of consciousness. Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet is common in hereditary type, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and spinal stenosis are common in the wild type.