Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Contemporary Review of Medical and Surgical Therapy

Abstract: Amyloidosis is a systemic disease initiated by deposition of misfolded proteins in the extracellular space, due to which multiple organs may be affected concomitantly. Cardiac amyloidosis, however, remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in this population due to infiltrative /restrictive cardiomyopathy. This review attempts to focus on contemporary medical and surgical therapies for the different types of cardiac amyloidosis. Amyloidosis affecting the heart are predominantly of the transthyretin type (acquired in the older or genetic in the younger patients), and the monoclonal immunoglobulin light chain (AL) type which is solely acquired. A rare form of secondary amyloidosis AA type can also affect the heart due to excessive production and accumulation of the acute-phase protein called Serum Amyloid A” (SAA) in the setting of chronic inflammation, cancers or autoinflammatory disease. More commonly AA amyloidosis is seen in the liver and kidney. Other rare types are Apo A1 and Isolated Atrial Amyloidosis (AANF). Medical therapies have made important strides in the clinical management of the two common types of cardiac amyloidosis. Surgical therapies such as mechanical circulatory support and cardiac transplantation should be considered in appropriate patients. Future research using AI driven algorithms for early diagnosis and treatment as well as development of newer genetic engineering technologies will drive improvements in diagnosis, treatment and patient outcomes.