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about attr‑cm
ATTR‑CM (transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy) is a rare, serious, underrecognized, and underdiagnosed type of amyloidosis that affects the heart and is associated with heart failure.
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See what happens inside the body
when you have ATTR‑CM
Watch the video or scroll down to learn more.
1
The liver produces transthyretin, a transport protein that carries the hormone thyroxine and vitamin A (retinol) throughout the bloodstream.
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2
When someone has ATTR‑CM, either due to aging (wild-type) or an inherited genetic variant (hereditary), the protein becomes unstable and misfolds.
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3
Over time, the misfolded proteins join together and build up in the body, including in the heart (causing the heart muscles to thicken and stiffen, eventually leading to heart failure).
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The 2 types of transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR‑CM)
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Wild-type ATTR‑CM (wATTR):
- Associated with aging
- Most often affects White men over the age of 60
- May be the most common form of ATTR‑CM
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Hereditary ATTR‑CM (hATTR):
- Caused by a gene change
- Passed down from a relative
- Affects both men and women, with symptoms beginning as early as 50 to 60 years old
- There are more than 120 known gene changes, also known as mutations, that cause hereditary ATTR‑CM; the most common mutation in the United States is V122i
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V122i almost exclusively affects African Americans
In the United States, the V122i mutation is found almost exclusively in individuals of African ancestry. Approximately 3% to 4% of African Americans in the US are thought to be carriers of the mutation. However, not all individuals with the V122i mutation develop symptoms of hereditary ATTR‑CM.
Importance of genetic testing
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Voices for the Heart
Learn more about hereditary ATTR‑CM and Voices for the Heart community events.