Cardiac amyloidosis (patient information)

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Cardiac amyloidosis

Overview

What are the symptoms?

What are the causes?

Who is at highest risk?

When to seek urgent medical care?

Diagnosis

Treatment options

Where to find medical care for Cardiac amyloidosis?

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Possible complications

Cardiac amyloidosis On the Web

Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov

Images of Cardiac amyloidosis

Videos on Cardiac amyloidosis

FDA on Cardiac amyloidosis

CDC on Cardiac amyloidosis

Cardiac amyloidosis in the news

Blogs on Cardiac amyloidosis

Directions to Hospitals Treating Cardiac amyloidosis

Risk calculators and risk factors for Cardiac amyloidosis

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editors-In-Chief: Jinhui Wu, MD. Ujjwal Rastogi, MBBS [2]

Overview

Cardiac amyloidosis is a disorder caused by deposits of an abnormal protein (amyloid) in the heart tissue, which make it hard for the heart to work properly.

What are the symptoms of Cardiac amyloidosis?

Most patients with cardiac amyloidosis may experience symptoms restrictive cardiomyopathy. While other may show no symptoms.

Diseases with similar symptoms

What causes Cardiac amyloidosis?

Amyloidosis refers to a family of diseases in which there is a buildup of clumps of proteins called amyloids in body tissues and organs. These proteins slowly replace normal tissue, leading to failure of the involved organ. There are many forms of amyloidosis.

Cardiac amyloidosis usually occurs during primary amyloidosis (AL type amyloidosis). Primary amyloidosis is often seen in people with multiple myeloma,cancer.

Cardiac amyloidosis ("stiff heart syndrome") occurs when amyloid deposits take the place of normal heart muscle. It is the most typical type of restrictive cardiomyopathy. Cardiac amyloidosis may affect the way electrical signals move through the heart (conduction system). This can lead to arrhythmias and conduction disturbances (heart block).

Secondary amyloidosis (AA type) rarely affects the heart. However, a form of secondary amyloidosis called senile amyloidosis involves the heart and blood vessels. Senile amyloidosis is caused by overproduction of a different protein. The condition is becoming more common as the average age of the population increases.

Cardiac amyloidosis is more common in men than in women. The disease is rare in people under age 40

Who is at highest risk?

Amyloidosis refers to a buildup of clumps of amyloids in body tissues and organs. These proteins called amyloids slowly replace normal tissue and resuly in organ function failure. Amyloidosis often occurs on patients with the following characteristics:

  • Multiple myeloma: Cardiac amyloidosis usually occurs in patients with multiple myeloma.
  • Male gender: Cardiac amyloidosis is more common in men than in women.
  • Age over 40: The disease is rare in people under age 40.

When to seek urgent medical care?

Call your health care provider if symptoms of cardiac amyloidosis develop. If you experience either of the following symptoms, seeking urgent medical care as soon as possible:

Diagnosis

Your physician may run the following test to confirm the diagnosis

Treatment options

Treatment effect of cardiac amyloidosis is not good. The purpose of treatment is to decrease the synthesis and deposition of the abnormal protein and protect heart function.

  • Diet: A diet of salt and fluid restrictions is recommended to patients with cardiac amyloidosis.
  • Medications

Where to find medical care for Cardiac amyloidosis?

Directions to Hospitals Treating cardiac amyloidosis

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Cardiac amyloidosis is a long-term (chronic) condition that slowly gets worse. On average, persons with cardiac amyloidosis live less than 1 year.

Possible complications

Sources

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000193.htm Template:WH Template:WS