Trouble breathing? Leg swelling? Pounding or racing heartbeat? Fatigue? These scary symptoms could be signs of cardiac amyloidosis. Cardiac amyloidosis is caused by an abnormal buildup of certain proteins in your heart. Also called “stiff heart syndrome,” heart amyloidosis is a rare but serious condition. It can lead to heart failure. Some people end up needing a heart transplant.
At UVA Health, we offer cardiac amyloidosis expertise you won’t find everywhere. We can find out if cardiac amyloidosis is the source of your symptoms. And, we can help manage your symptoms and give you the high-quality care you need.
What Is Amyloidosis of the Heart?
Amyloidosis is a disease that happens when amyloid proteins in your body take the wrong shape (called misfolding). That makes the proteins clump up. These clumps get stuck in different organs around your body, including your heart. Your body can’t break these clumps down. The clumps build up in your organs and cause problems.
In your heart, the buildup of amyloid makes the heart muscle stiff and thick. Your heart can’t pump as hard as your body needs. This can lead to heart failure.
Amyloidosis doesn’t just affect your heart. It can also build up in other organs like your kidneys and nerves.
Cardiac Amyloidosis Treatment at UVA Health
Treating cardiac amyloidosis means both:
- Managing you symptoms
- Treating the disease itself
At UVA Health, our heart failure and heart transplant specialists are experts in treating heart amyloidosis. You’ll have access to the latest techniques and the most advanced treatments. And we can connect you to the most advanced care if you need it.
Which Treatment Will You Need?
Treatment depends on the type of amyloidosis you have and how far along it is (stage). We can figure out your type and partner with you on the best plan to treat it.
Managing Cardiac Amyloidosis Symptoms
Medications can help your brething and reduce swelling. These may include:
- Water pills (diuretics)
- Heart failure medications
We’ll walk you through your options, making sure you get the right medicine to give you relief.
Heart Transplant
For advanced cases, you may need a heart transplant. We'll carefully check you to see if a transplant is the right treatment for you. Only some people with cardiac amyloidosis qualify for a heart transplant.
At UVA Health, you’ll benefit from the care of a transplant team highly skilled in these complex procedures.
Cardiac Amyloidosis Types
UVA Health offers support and care for every type of cardiac amyloidosis.
ATTR Amyloidosis (Transthyretin amyloidosis)
This type is caused by misfolding proteins that are made in your liver.
It has 2 subtypes:
- Hereditary ATTR amyloidosis is passed down from parents to children
- Wild-type ATTR isn’t inherited and affects older adults
ATTR cardiac amyloidosis can be slowed down with medicine that makes the protein more stable and less likely to misfold. Other medicines slow down how much of the protein your liver makes. That can slow down the progress of the disease.
AL Amyloidosis (Light Chain)
This type is caused by proteins made in your plasma cells, which are part of your immune system. AL amyloidosis can affect your heart, kidneys, nerves, and other organs.
AL cardiac amyloidosis is a serious disease that needs treatment right away. Treatment can include:
- Chemotherapy
- Immunotherapy
- Steroids
These treatments can slow down the disease. In some cases, a stem cell transplant is needed.
Our infusion center and stem cell transplant program belong to the nationally designated UVA Health Comprehensive Cancer Center.