Why Everyone With ATTR-CM Should Be Tested
If you have ATTR-CM, you may be aware that there are two types of the condition:
- Hereditary ATTR-CM runs in families and can cause symptoms around age 30 or later. It leads to amyloid deposits in the heart, nerves, kidneys, and other organs.
- Wild-type ATTR-CM doesn’t run in families and tends to occur in older men. It mostly affects the heart, but it may also cause problems like carpal tunnel syndrome or pain or numbness in the hands or feet.
After a person is diagnosed with ATTR-CM, genetic testing is the next step, says Trejeeve Martyn, MD, a cardiologist in Cleveland Clinic’s heart failure and cardiac transplantation section in Ohio. Results can tell you and your care team which type of ATTR-CM you have, so you can treat it as effectively as possible.
Why Hereditary ATTR-CM Is Different
There isn’t a cure for ATTR-CM, nor are there treatments to reverse existing amyloid buildup. However, disease-modifying therapies do make it possible to slow the buildup of new amyloid deposits, improving both life expectancy and quality of life in people with hereditary ATTR-CM.
These therapies deliver the biggest benefit when they’re started early, before ATTR-CM becomes severe.
“ATTR-CM is a progressive disorder,” says Dr. Martyn. “The earlier the disease is diagnosed, the better the prognosis, response to therapy, and quality of life patients tend to have.”
Disease-modifying therapies include:
- Stabilizer Agents Oral medications like acoramidis (Attruby) and tafamidis (Vyndamax) make it harder for TTR proteins to misfold and create amyloid deposits.
- TTR Silencers Injectable medication vutrisiran (Amvuttra) limits how much TTR the body produces, thereby limiting the production of amyloid deposits.
Your cardiologist may also prescribe additional medications to help manage symptoms caused by ATTR-CM, such as swelling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and high blood pressure, or to reduce your risk for complications like blood clots.
Source link