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Cardiac Amyloidosis for the Primary Care Provider: A Practical Review to Promote Earlier Recognition of Disease

Kathleen W Zhang1, Srilakshmi Vallabhaneni1, Jose A Alvarez-Cardona1

  • 1Cardio-Oncology Center of Excellence, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis Mo.

The American Journal of Medicine
|January 14, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Cardiac amyloidosis, a cause of heart failure, is often diagnosed late. Early recognition and treatment are crucial for better outcomes with new therapies, especially for primary care providers.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Internal Medicine
  • Medical Diagnostics

Background:

  • Cardiac amyloidosis is an underdiagnosed cause of heart failure.
  • Diagnostic delays can exceed 3 years, involving multiple specialist referrals.
  • New therapies are most effective when initiated early in disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To increase awareness of cardiac amyloidosis among primary care providers.
  • To provide practical guidance on recognizing and diagnosing cardiac amyloidosis.
  • To facilitate earlier diagnosis and treatment of cardiac amyloidosis.

Main Methods:

  • Review of epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnostic evaluation.
  • Discussion of treatment strategies for transthyretin and light chain cardiac amyloidosis.
  • Focus on practical guidance for primary care settings.

Main Results:

  • Significant diagnostic delays are common in cardiac amyloidosis.
  • Early diagnosis is essential for effective treatment with newly available therapies.
  • Improved primary care provider awareness is key to timely intervention.

Conclusions:

  • Earlier recognition of cardiac amyloidosis by primary care providers is essential.
  • Timely diagnosis improves patient outcomes through prompt treatment initiation.
  • This review aims to equip primary care providers with knowledge for earlier disease detection.

Keywords:
AmyloidosisDiagnosis, ImagingHeart failure

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