Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is an underdiagnosed and potentially fatal disease of the heart muscle. In ATTR-CM, a protein called transthyretin that normally circulates in the bloodstream becomes misshapen and builds up in the heart, nerves, and other organs.
When these amyloid deposits build up in the heart, the walls can become stiff, making the left ventricle unable to properly relax and fill with blood – called cardiomyopathy. As the condition progresses, the heart can become unable to adequately squeeze enough to pump blood out of the heart, ultimately leading to HF.
Once thought of as a rare and untreatable disease, cardiac amyloidosis has gone undetected for years, impacting the quality of life and life expectancy of affected patients, especially those over 60 years of age.