Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy

Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy

Overview

Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), once considered rare, may be more prevalent than thought. Diagnosing this condition can be a challenge, as early symptoms are often attributed to aging and later, more severe, symptoms can mimic the symptoms of other conditions such as heart failure (HF) and aortic stenosis. This can be particularly problematic, as several treatments common to these conditions are contraindicated for patients with ATTR-CM. Moreover, clinicians may not be aware that advances in noninvasive methods, such as cardiac magnetic resonance and bone scintigraphy, can provide definitive diagnostic results and have largely supplanted the historic gold standard for ATTR-CM diagnosis, endomyocardial biopsy.

This activity examines strategies for reducing the threshold for clinical suspicion of ATTR-CM, particularly in patients diagnosed with HF and atrial fibrillation who have inconsistencies in their presentations of these conditions, and provides current clinical evidence supporting the effectiveness of noninvasive diagnostic methods and emerging treatments for the management of patients with ATTR-CM.