Mackenzie's Mission HomepageMackenzie's Mission

"What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Blog

ATTR-CM: Don’t Assume it’s Wild-Type TTR Amyloidosis

Historically it has been thought that the majority of elderly cardiomyopathy patients diagnosed with amyloidosis, ATTR-CM, transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, suffered from wild-type, a non-genetic version of the disease that most commonly affects but is not exclusive to men over seventy years of age. A study in the UK conducted from January 2010 through August 2022 was conducted to determine whether this was true. Here we summarize their fascinating findings.

Helping Patients Find Their Voice

Developing one’s “patient voice” can seem unduly intimidating. Advocating one’s position may come natural to some, but terrifying for others, especially when the physician is viewed as the expert. Additionally, many patients may find it difficult to translate their feelings without having a medical vocabulary. Here are some ideas for healthcare professionals to help their patients find their voice.

Hereditary Amyloidosis: The V122I Variant

Despite the evidence that a meaningful 3-4% of the US Black population of West African ancestry likely carries the V122I genetic mutation, hereditary TTR amyloidosis remains significantly underdiagnosed and undertreated in this population. Amyloidosis can be devastating to both patients and their families. Increased awareness of the disease, availability of testing, and FDA-approved therapies are slowly beginning to shift this dynamic. However, there is still much work to be done to close the gap between diagnosed cases and the population estimated to be affected.