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Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Isolation of Atrial Cardiomyocytes from a Rat Model of Metabolic Syndrome-related Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Published on: July 26, 2018
Amyloid heart disease
Rodney H Falk1, Simon W Dubrey
1Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA. rfalk@partners.org
Insights
Systemic amyloidoses involve amyloid deposition in organs, often affecting the heart and causing cardiomyopathy. Accurate diagnosis and biochemical typing are crucial for effective treatment and improved prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hematology
- Pathology
Background:
- Systemic amyloidoses are rare disorders with amyloid deposition in organs.
- Cardiac involvement is frequent, manifesting as infiltrative/restrictive cardiomyopathy.
- Cardiac amyloidosis can be the initial presentation or found during non-cardiac investigations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the diverse features and manifestations of cardiac amyloidosis.
- To emphasize the importance of early suspicion and accurate diagnosis.
- To highlight the impact of recent therapeutic advancements.
Main Methods:
- Review of clinical features and diagnostic approaches for cardiac amyloidosis.
- Discussion of biochemical typing of amyloid deposits.
- Analysis of treatment strategies and prognostic implications.
Main Results:
- Cardiac amyloidosis presents with varied clinical manifestations.
- Accurate biochemical typing of amyloid is essential for targeted therapy.
- Timely and appropriate treatment significantly improves patient outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Cardiac amyloidosis requires a high index of suspicion for timely diagnosis.
- Precise biochemical typing guides therapeutic decisions.
- Advances in therapy offer improved prognosis for systemic amyloidoses with cardiac involvement.
Abstract:
The systemic amyloidoses are an uncommon group of disorders characterized by the extracellular deposition of amyloid in one or more organs. Cardiac deposition, leading to an infiltrative/restrictive cardiomyopathy, is a common feature of amyloidosis. It may be the presenting feature of the disease or may be discovered while investigating a patient presenting with non-cardiac amyloidosis. In this article we review the features of cardiac amyloidosis and its varied manifestations. The need for a high index of suspicion and the critical importance of precise biochemical typing of the amyloid deposits is stressed in light of recent advances in therapy which can, when appropriately used, significantly improve prognosis.
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