Cardiac
Amyloidosis?
Amyloidosis can affect your whole
Amyloidosis When these abnormal
proteins build up, they body or just a certain part. It is a
disease that cannot be cured and
(pronounced am-uh-loy-doh-sis) can cause organs to
not work correctly. usually gets worse over time.
is a disease that causes abnormal proteins (called
amyloid) to build up in certain places in your body
where they shouldn’t be, like your liver, nerves, or Wild-type (ATTRwt) Hereditary mutant
heart. The two most common types are called light There are
amyloidosis that (hATTR) amyloidosis
chain cardiac amyloidosis (AL) and transthyretin two types of
can develop as you that is passed down
cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CM). ATTR-CM:
get older. from your parents.
What Are Common Symptoms How Does Amyloidosis
Of Amyloidosis? Affect My Heart?
When amyloidosis affects your heart, it is called
Feeling tired Feeling dizzy or cardiac amyloidosis. Cardiac amyloidosis causes:
lightheaded
your heart walls to thicken over time. This makes
it hard for your heart to squeeze and relax
normally. This affects how your heart pumps
blood to your body.
Trouble Pressure or dull pain
breathing, when in the chest when
active or lying active
down your heart rhythms to be abnormal (called
arrhythmias).
blocks in your heart’s electrical system,
which tells your heart to beat. This is called
Swelling in the Tingling and
heartblock.
legs, ankles or numbness in the
stomach hands and feet
How Do You Know You Have Cardiac Amyloidosis?
Cardiac Amyloidosis used to be thought of Medical tests can help determine You may need to take several tests
as a rare disease. But that might have been if you have cardiac amyloidosis, for a diagnosis. Ask your doctor
because it was missed (underdiagnosed) in and if so, which type. about which tests are right for you.
patients until recently.
Are There Yes, but first you need to
find out which type of cardiac
Some treatments for
cardiac amyloidosis
Diagnosing and
treating amyloidosis
Treatments amyloidosis you have. This will
help determine which treatment
treat the underlying
problem. Others
early is important. It
can help you live a
For Cardiac may work best for you. It will
also let you know whether your
help with the
symptoms of
longer, healthier life. It
could help your family
Amyloidosis? family members may be at risk
for the disease.
amyloidosis. members, too.