Incidence and Characterization of Concealed Cardiac Amyloidosis Among Unselected Elderly Patients Undergoing Post-mortem Examination

Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy in severe aortic stenosis submitted to valve replacement: a multicenter study

Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of TTR amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) in severe aortic stenosis (SAS) patients, and to determine the independent predictors of major adverse events (MAE).Patients & methods: 91 SAS patients >65 years with an interventricular septum thickness ≥12.5 mm were referred for aortic valve replacement (AVR). 99mTc-DPD scintigraphy was applied to diagnose ATTR-CM, in the absence of monoclonal protein.Results: ATTR-CM was found in 11%. 78% of patients underwent AVR, but only 2 had ATTR-CM. There were no significant differences in the composite of all cause-mortality or cardiovascular hospitalizations. Lower left ventricle ejection fraction and not performing AVR were independent predictors of MAE.Conclusion: Not performing AVR was an independent predictor of MAE, regardless the ATTR-CM diagnosis.

Epidemiological Changes in Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: Evidence from In Vivo Data and Autoptic Series

Cardiac amyloidosis is an infiltrative disease that causes progressive myocardial impairment secondary to amyloid fibril deposition in the extracellular space of the myocardium. Many amyloid precursors, including transthyretin protein, are known to determine cardiac damage by aggregating and precipitating in cardiac tissue. Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis may be either caused by rare genetic mutations of the transthyretin gene in the hereditary variant, or may arise as a consequence of age-related mechanisms in the acquired form. Although it has been labeled as a rare disease, in recent years, transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis has stood out as an emerging cause of aortic stenosis, unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, particularly in the elderly. Indeed, the integration of data deriving from both in vivo imaging techniques (whose advancement in the last years has allowed to achieve an easier and more accessible non-invasive diagnosis) and forensic studies (showing a prevalence of amyloid deposition in cardiac tissue of elderly patients up to 29%) suggests that cardiac amyloidosis is a more common disease than traditionally considered. Thanks to all the improvements in non-invasive diagnostic techniques, along with the development of efficacious therapies offering improvements in survival rates, transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis has been transformed from an incurable and infrequent condition to a relatively more diffuse and treatable disease, which physicians should take into consideration in the differential diagnostic processes in daily clinical practice.

Myocardial Mechanics and Valvular and Vascular Abnormalities in Cardiac Amyloidosis

Cardiac amyloidosis is an infiltrative disease primarily caused by extracellular tissue deposition of amyloid fibrils in the myocardial interstitium. The aim of the present review was to summarize findings regarding changes in myocardial mechanics, valvular abnormalities, and vascular remodeling detected in patients with cardiac amyloidosis.

Phenotype and prognostic factors in geriatric and non-geriatric patients with transthyretin cardiomyopathy

AIMS

Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) may be an underestimated cause of heart failure among geriatric patients and represent a unique phenotype and prognostic profile.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This retrospective, observational, cohort study characterizes cardiac and extracardiac disorders at diagnosis and assesses prognosis among ATTR-CM patients based on age (geriatric vs. non-geriatric) and amyloidosis subtype (wild type, ATTRwt and hereditary, ATTRv). In total, 943 patients with ATTR-CM were included, of which 306 had ATTRv and 637 had ATTRwt. Among these, 331 (35.1%) were non-geriatric (<75 years), and 612 (64.9%) were geriatric (≥75 years). The population exhibited conduction abnormalities, atrial fibrillation and ischaemic heart disease that progressively deteriorated with age. Among ATTRwt patients, peripheral neuropathy, neurovegetative symptoms, and hearing loss were present across all age groups, but reports of carpal tunnel symptoms or surgery decreased with age. Conversely, among ATTRv patients, reports of extracardiac symptoms increased with age and Val122ILe mutation was highly prevalent among geriatric patients. The 3-year survival was higher among non-geriatric ATTR-CM patients (76%) than geriatric patients (55%) and predictors of 3-year mortality differed. Notably, predictors identified among geriatric patients were alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (HR = 1.004, 95% CI: [0.001-1.100)], troponin T hs (HR = 1.005, 95% CI: [1.001-1.120)] and tricuspid insufficiency (HR = 1.194, 95% CI: [1.02-1.230)]. Whereas, among non-geriatric patients, NT-proBNP (HR = 1.002, 95% CI: [1.02-1.04], global longitudinal strain (HR = 0.95, 95% CI: [0.922-0.989], and glomerular filtration rate (HR = 0.984, 95% CI: [0.968-1.00) were identified. We propose a 3-stage prognostic staging system combining troponin T hs (≥44 ng/L) and ALP levels (≥119 UI/L). In the geriatric population, this model discriminated survival more precisely than the National Amyloidosis Centre staging, particularly for classifying between stage 1 (82%), stage 2 (50%) and stage 3 (32%) for ATTRv and ATTRwt.

CONCLUSIONS

These diagnostic and prognostic indicators, along with ATTR subtype, highlight the distinct characteristics of this important, geriatric ATTR-CM patient group. Recognizing these mortality markers can be valuable for geriatricians to improve the prognostic quality management of geriatric patients with ATTR-CM.

Clinical Use of Biomarkers in Cardiac Amyloidosis

Amyloidosis is a systemic condition characterized by multiple organs involvement. A multidisciplinary and multimodal approach in assessing patients is pivotal and recommended by the international scientific societies. Biomarkers represent an essential noninvasive tool to increase the suspicion of disease and orient further workup and clinical management of patients. This review provides an updated contemporary focus on the clinical use of biomarkers in cardiac amyloidosis, emphasizing their role in both the diagnostic and prognostic setting and discussing future perspective of emerging biomarkers.

Delayed Diagnosis of Cardiac Amyloidosis Masked by Chronic Coronary Artery Disease and Ischemic Cardiomyopathy: A Case Report of an Overlooked and Underdiagnosed Etiology

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is an infiltrative disease of the heart characterized by the deposition of insoluble protein aggregates in the myocardium. There are two subtypes of CA, and they are named after the misfolded protein. Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) is caused by the accumulation of the tetrameric transthyretin protein produced in the liver, and light-chain cardiac amyloidosis (AL-CA) occurs due to circulating abnormal light-chain deposition. Disease manifestation can be very non-specific, and there can be overlap with other cardiac processes. This often leads to a delay in diagnosis and a poor prognosis. Here, we present a case of delayed diagnosis of CA spanning over several years that required a multidisciplinary approach but ultimately resulted in fatality six years after the initial diagnosis.

Anticoagulation in Atrial Fibrillation Associated With Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Narrative Review

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) involves the abnormal deposition and accumulation of amyloid proteins in the heart muscle. A hallmark of disease progression is declining heart function, which can lead to structural irregularities, arrhythmias, and ultimately heart failure. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia that presents in CA patients, and this arrhythmia is significant because it can moderately increase the risk of patients developing intracardiac thrombi, thereby putting them at risk for thromboembolic events. The management of this complication entails the use of anticoagulants like vitamin K antagonists and direct oral anticoagulants to reduce the risk of thrombus formation. This article seeks to review AF in CA and the use of anticoagulation therapy for the management and reduction of thromboembolic risk. The major conclusions of this review are centered around the need for safe administration of anticoagulant therapy to CA patients, regardless of their CHA2DS2-VASc risk score. This review highlights the importance of taking a multidisciplinary or collaborative approach to CA treatment to ensure that all aspects of this multifaceted disease can be properly managed while minimizing adverse events like bleeding risk and drug-drug interactions.

Primary Data on ATTR-Amyloidosis Prevalence Among Elderly Patients With Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Russia

AIM

To estimate the prevalence of amyloid cardiomyopathy (CM) caused by transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) and immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis among patients aged >65 years with interventricular septal (IVS) hypertrophy of ≥14 mm.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

From January through August 2023, 60 patients (mean age 7.2±7.3 years, 34 (56.67%) men) were enrolled. Patients meeting the inclusion criteria underwent an echocardiographic study with determining the myocardial longitudinal strain, myocardial scintigraphy with 99mTc-pyrfotech, myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography, measurement of N-terminal fragment of brain natriuretic peptide and troponin I, and the immunochemical study of serum and urine proteins with measurement of free light chains. In the presence of grades 2 and 3 radiopharmaceutical uptake according to scintigraphy, a molecular genetic study was performed for differential diagnosis of wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis (wtATTR) and hereditary/variant (hATTR) ATTR-CM.

RESULTS

According to data of myocardial scintigraphy with 99mTc-pyrfotech, grade 3 uptake in the absence of monoclonal secretion was detected in 5 (8.3%) cases and grade 2 radiotracer uptake in the absence of monoclonal secretion was detected in 6 (10%) patients. Myeloma complicated by AL amyloidosis and primary AL amyloidosis were found in 5 (8.3%) patients.

CONCLUSION

Among patients aged ≥65 years with IVS hypertrophy ≥14 mm, amyloid CM was detected in 20% of cases (12 patients), including 5 cases (8.3%) of AL amyloidosis and 7 cases (11.7%) of ATTR amyloidosis.

Clinical and Prognostic Implications of Right Ventricular Uptake on Bone Scintigraphy in Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND

The extent of myocardial bone tracer uptake with technetium pyrophosphate, hydroxymethylene diphosphonate, and 3,3-diphosphono-1,2-propanodicarboxylate in transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) might reflect cardiac amyloid burden and be associated with outcome.

METHODS

Consecutive patients with ATTR-CM who underwent diagnostic bone tracer scintigraphy with acquisition of whole-body planar and cardiac single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images from the National Amyloidosis Centre and 4 Italian centers were included. Cardiac uptake was defined according to the Perugini classification: 0=absent cardiac uptake; 1=mild uptake less than bone; 2=moderate uptake equal to bone; and 3=high uptake greater than bone. Extent of right ventricular (RV) uptake was defined as focal (basal segment of the RV free wall only) or diffuse (extending beyond basal segment) on the basis of SPECT imaging. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

Among 1422 patients with ATTR-CM, RV uptake accompanying left ventricular uptake was identified by SPECT imaging in 100% of cases at diagnosis. Median follow-up in the whole cohort was 34 months (interquartile range, 21 to 50 months), and 494 patients died. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, diffuse RV uptake on SPECT imaging (n=936) was associated with higher all-cause mortality compared with focal (n=486) RV uptake (77.9% versus 22.1%; P<0.001), whereas Perugini grade was not associated with survival (P=0.27 in grade 2 versus grade 3). On multivariable analysis, after adjustment for age at diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.03 [95% CI, 1.02-1.04]; P<0.001), presence of the p.(V142I) TTR variant (HR, 1.42 [95% CI, 1.20-1.81]; P=0.004), National Amyloidosis Centre stage (each category, P<0.001), stroke volume index (HR, 0.99 [95% CI, 0.97-0.99]; P=0.043), E/e' (HR, 1.02 [95% CI, 1.007-1.03]; P=0.004), right atrial area index (HR, 1.05 [95% CI, 1.02-1.08]; P=0.001), and left ventricular global longitudinal strain (HR, 1.06 [95% CI, 1.03-1.09]; P<0.001), diffuse RV uptake on SPECT imaging (HR, 1.60 [95% CI, 1.26-2.04]; P<0.001) remained an independent predictor of all-cause mortality. The prognostic value of diffuse RV uptake was maintained across each National Amyloidosis Centre stage and in both wild-type and hereditary ATTR-CM (P<0.001 and P=0.02, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Diffuse RV uptake of bone tracer on SPECT imaging is associated with poor outcomes in patients with ATTR-CM and is an independent prognostic marker at diagnosis.

World Heart Federation Consensus on Transthyretin Amyloidosis Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM)

Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a progressive and fatal condition that requires early diagnosis, management, and specific treatment. The availability of new disease-modifying therapies has made successful treatment a reality. Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy can be either age-related (wild-type form) or caused by mutations in the TTR gene (genetic, hereditary forms). It is a systemic disease, and while the genetic forms may exhibit a variety of symptoms, a predominant cardiac phenotype is often present. This document aims to provide an overview of ATTR-CM amyloidosis focusing on cardiac involvement, which is the most critical factor for prognosis. It will discuss the available tools for early diagnosis and patient management, given that specific treatments are more effective in the early stages of the disease, and will highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary approach and of specialized amyloidosis centres. To accomplish these goals, the World Heart Federation assembled a panel of 18 expert clinicians specialized in TTR amyloidosis from 13 countries, along with a representative from the Amyloidosis Alliance, a patient advocacy group. This document is based on a review of published literature, expert opinions, registries data, patients' perspectives, treatment options, and ongoing developments, as well as the progress made possible via the existence of centres of excellence. From the patients' perspective, increasing disease awareness is crucial to achieving an early and accurate diagnosis. Patients also seek to receive care at specialized amyloidosis centres and be fully informed about their treatment and prognosis.

Wild-Type Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis in a Transplanted Heart

Wild-type transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTRwt-CM) is more prevalent than appreciated in the elderly. We present the case of an 88-year-old woman who underwent heart transplantation for ischemic cardiomyopathy and then presented 21 years later with new onset atrial flutter, found on endomyocardial biopsy to have new ATTRwt-CM. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Prevalence, characteristics and outcomes of older patients with hereditary versus wild-type transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy

AIMS

Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is often assumed to be associated with wild-type TTR genotype (ATTRwt) in elderly patients (aged ≥70), some of whom are not offered genetic testing. We sought to estimate the prevalence, clinical characteristics and prognostic implications of transthyretin (TTR) variants among elderly patients diagnosed with ATTR-CM.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Data from consecutive patients over 70 years of age diagnosed with ATTR-CM at the UK National Amyloidosis Centre between January 2010 and August 2022 were retrospectively evaluated. All patients underwent clinical evaluation, biochemical tests, echocardiography and TTR genotyping. The study outcome was all-cause mortality. The study population consisted of 2029 patients with ATTR-CM (median age 79 years at diagnosis, 13.5% females, 80.4% Caucasian). Variant ATTR-CM (ATTRv-CM) was diagnosed in 20.7% (n = 421) of the study population of whom 327 (77.7%) carried V122I, 47 (11.2%) T60A, 16 (3.8%) V30M and 31 (7.3%) other pathogenic TTR variants. During a median (range) follow-up of 29 (12-48) months, ATTRv-CM was associated with increased all-cause mortality compared to ATTRwt-CM, with the poorest survival observed in V122I-associated ATTRv-CM (p < 0.001). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses in those with ATTR-CM showed younger age at diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] 0.85 per year, p < 0.001), female sex (OR 2.73, p < 0.001), Afro-Caribbean ethnicity (OR 65.5, p < 0.001), atrial fibrillation (OR 0.65, p = 0.015), ischaemic heart disease (OR 0.54, p = 0.007), peripheral polyneuropathy (OR 5.70, p < 0.001) and orthostatic hypotension (OR 6.29, p < 0.001) to be independently associated with ATTRv-CM.

CONCLUSION

Up to 20.7% of elderly patients with ATTR-CM have a pathogenic TTR variant. These findings support routine sequencing of the TTR gene in all patients with ATTR-CM regardless of age.

A review of recent advances in the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis, treatment of its cardiac complications, and disease-modifying therapies

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA), a significant condition resulting in infiltrative cardiomyopathy and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), is caused by extracellular deposition of amyloid fibrils in the heart. Even though this has been known for an extended period, its prevalence in elderly patients with heart failure is increasingly being recognized. Recent advances in diagnosis with non-invasive methods like technetium pyrophosphate-labeled cardiac scintigraphy (i.e., Tc-PYP scan) and treatment options with tafamidis have played a pivotal role in awareness of the burden of this disease. Management of cardiac complications like heart failure, atrial arrhythmias, conduction block, ventricular arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, and aortic stenosis is now more critical than ever. We aim to review and outline the recent advances in diagnoses of CA. We also review management strategies for cardiac complications of CA with a brief summary of disease-modifying therapies.

Endomyocardial biopsy in the clinical context: current indications and challenging scenarios

Endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) is an invasive procedure originally developed for the monitoring of heart transplant rejection. Over the year, this procedure has gained a fundamental complementary role in the diagnostic work-up of several cardiac disorders, including cardiomyopathies, myocarditis, drug-related cardiotoxicity, amyloidosis, other infiltrative and storage disorders, and cardiac tumours. Major advances in EMB equipment and techniques for histological analysis have significantly improved diagnostic accuracy of EMB. In recent years, advanced imaging modalities such as echocardiography with three-dimensional and myocardial strain analysis, cardiac magnetic resonance and bone scintigraphy have transformed the non-invasive approach to diagnosis and prognostic stratification of several cardiac diseases. Therefore, it emerges the need to re-define the current role of EMB for diagnostic work-up and management of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge on EMB in light of the most recent evidences and to discuss current indications, including challenging scenarios encountered in clinical practice.

Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Cardio-Orthopedic Disease

Orthopaedic manifestations of wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis are frequent and characteristic, including idiopathic bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, idiopathic lumbar canal stenosis, atraumatic rupture of the brachial biceps tendon, and, more rarely, finger disease and rotator cuff. These manifestations often coexisting in the same patient, frequently male and aged, steadily precede cardiac involvement inducing a rapidly progressive heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Although transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis remains a cardiac relevant disease, these extracardiac localisation may increase diagnostic suspicion and allow for early diagnosis assuming the role of useful diagnostic red flags, especially in light of new therapeutic opportunities that can slow or stop the progression of the disease. For the cardiologist, the recognition of these extracardiac red flags is of considerable importance to reinforce an otherwise less emerging diagnostic suspicion. For orthopedists and rheumatologists, the presence in an old patient with or without clinical manifestations of cardiovascular disease, of an unexpected and inexplicable constellation of musculoskeletal symptoms, can represent a fundamental moment for an early diagnosis and treatment is improving a patient's outcome.

Redefining the epidemiology of cardiac amyloidosis. A systematic review and meta-analysis of screening studies

AIMS

An algorithm for non-invasive diagnosis of amyloid transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) and novel disease-modifying therapies have prompted an active search for CA. We examined the prevalence of CA in different settings based on literature data.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We performed a systematic search for screening studies on CA, focusing on the prevalence, sex and age distribution in different clinical settings. The prevalence of CA in different settings was as follows: bone scintigraphy for non-cardiac reasons (n = 5 studies), 1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0%-1%); heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (n = 6), 12% (95% CI 6%-20%); heart failure with reduced or mildly reduced ejection fraction (n = 2), 10% (95% CI 6%-15%); conduction disorders warranting pacemaker implantation (n = 1), 2% (95% CI 0%-4%); surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome (n = 3), 7% (95% CI 5%-10%); hypertrophic cardiomyopathy phenotype (n = 2), 7% (95% CI 5%-9%); severe aortic stenosis (n = 7), 8% (95% CI 5%-13%); autopsy series of 'unselected' elderly individuals (n = 4), 21% (95% CI 7%-39%). The average age of CA patients in the different settings ranged from 74 to 90 years, and the percentage of men from 50% to 100%. Many patients had ATTR-CA, but the average percentage of patients with amyloid light-chain (AL) CA was up to 18%.

CONCLUSIONS

Searching for CA in specific settings allows to identify a relatively high number of cases who may be eligible for treatment if the diagnosis is unequivocal. ATTR-CA accounts for many cases of CA across the different settings, but AL-CA is not infrequent. Median age at diagnosis falls in the eighth or ninth decades, and many patients diagnosed with CA are women.

Evolving trends in epidemiology and natural history of cardiac amyloidosis: 30-year experience from a tertiary referral center for cardiomyopathies

Objective

Natural history of cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is poorly understood. We aimed to examine the changing mortality of different types of CA over a 30-year period.

Patients and methods

Consecutive patients included in the "Trieste CA Registry" from January 1, 1990 through December 31, 2021 were divided into a historical cohort (diagnosed before 2016) and a contemporary cohort (diagnosed after 2016). Light chain (AL), transthyretin (ATTR) and other forms of CA were defined according to international recommendations. The primary and secondary outcome measures were all-cause mortality and cardiac death, respectively.

Results

We enrolled 182 patients: 47.3% AL-CA, 44.5% ATTR-CA, 8.2% other etiologies. The number of patients diagnosed with AL and ATTR-CA progressively increased over time, mostly ATTR-CA patients (from 21% before 2016 to 67% after 2016) diagnosed non-invasively. The more consistent increase in event-rate was observed in the long-term (after 50 months) in ATTR-CA compared to the early increase in mortality in AL-CA. In the contemporary cohort, during a median follow up of 16 [4-30] months, ATTR-CA was associated with improved overall and cardiac survival compared to AL-CA. At multivariable analysis, ATTR-CA (HR 0.42, p = 0.03), eGFR (HR 0.98, p = 0.033) and ACE-inhibitor therapy (HR 0.24, p < 0.001) predicted overall survival in the contemporary cohort.

Conclusion

Incidence and prevalence rates of ATTR-CA and, to a less extent, of AL-CA have been increasing over time, with significant improvements in 2-year survival of ATTR-CA patients from the contemporary cohort. Reaching an early diagnosis and starting disease-modifying treatments will improve long-term survival in CA.

Summation of Precordial R Wave Amplitudes, a Clinical Parameter for Detecting Early TTR Amyloidosis Cardiac Involvement

There have been several reports on the identification of the stage of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM); however, a staging system for ATTR-CM has not yet been established. An 83-year-old woman was referred to our department about ten years ago. Recently, she was diagnosed with ATTR-CM. The electrocardiogram showed characteristic changes that take place over the duration of ATTR-CM progression. Among these, the precordial R amplitudes abruptly decreased before the development of increased ventricular thickness. This case suggested that the decrease in the precordial R wave amplitudes may represent a new diagnostic clue reflecting early myocardial damage due to ATTR-CM.

Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis

Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) is an increasingly recognized cause of heart failure (HF) and mortality worldwide. Advances in non-invasive diagnosis, coupled with the development of effective treatments, have shifted ATTR-CA from a rare and untreatable disease to a relatively prevalent condition that clinicians should consider on a daily basis. Amyloid fibril formation results from age-related failure of homoeostatic mechanisms in wild-type ATTR (ATTRwt) amyloidosis (non-hereditary form) or destabilizing mutations in variant ATTR (ATTRv) amyloidosis (hereditary form). Longitudinal large-scale studies in the United States suggest an incidence of cardiac amyloidosis in the contemporary era of 17 per 100 000, which has increased from a previous estimate of 0.5 per 100 000, which was almost certainly due to misdiagnosis and underestimated. The presence and degree of cardiac involvement is the leading cause of mortality both in ATTRwt and ATTRv amyloidosis, and can be identified in up to 15% of patients hospitalized for HF with preserved ejection fraction. Associated features, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, can preceed by several years the development of symptomatic HF and may serve as early disease markers. Echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance raise suspicion of disease and might offer markers of treatment response at a myocardial level, such as extracellular volume quantification. Radionuclide scintigraphy with 'bone' tracers coupled with biochemical tests may differentiate ATTR from light chain amyloidosis. Therapies able to slow or halt ATTR-CA progression and increase survival are now available. In this evolving scenario, early disease recognition is paramount to derive the greatest benefit from treatment.

Red flags for the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis: simple suggestions to raise suspicion and achieve earlier diagnosis

Cardiac amyloidosis is an infiltrative disease characterized by extracellular deposition of insoluble amyloid fibrils in the heart leading to organ dysfunction. Despite recent diagnostic advances, the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis is often delayed or even missed. Furthermore, a long diagnostic delay is associated with adverse outcomes, with the early diagnosed patients showing the longest survival. In this narrative review we aimed to summarize the 'red flags' that may facilitate the correct diagnosis. The red flags may be classified as clinical, biohumoral, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and cardiac magnetic resonance features and should promptly raise the suspicion of cardiac amyloidosis in order to start a correct diagnostic pathway and targeted treatment strategies that may improve patients' outcomes.

Organ manifestations of COVID-19: what have we learned so far (not only) from autopsies?

The use of autopsies in medicine has been declining. The COVID-19 pandemic has documented and rejuvenated the importance of autopsies as a tool of modern medicine. In this review, we discuss the various autopsy techniques, the applicability of modern analytical methods to understand the pathophysiology of COVID-19, the major pathological organ findings, limitations or current studies, and open questions. This article summarizes published literature and the consented experience of the nationwide network of clinical, neuro-, and forensic pathologists from 27 German autopsy centers with more than 1200 COVID-19 autopsies. The autopsy tissues revealed that SARS-CoV-2 can be found in virtually all human organs and tissues, and the majority of cells. Autopsies have revealed the organ and tissue tropism of SARS-CoV-2, and the morphological features of COVID-19. This is characterized by diffuse alveolar damage, combined with angiocentric disease, which in turn is characterized by endothelial dysfunction, vascular inflammation, (micro-) thrombosis, vasoconstriction, and intussusceptive angiogenesis. These findings explained the increased pulmonary resistance in COVID-19 and supported the recommendations for antithrombotic treatment in COVID-19. In contrast, in extra-respiratory organs, pathological changes are often nonspecific and unclear to which extent these changes are due to direct infection vs. indirect/secondary mechanisms of organ injury, or a combination thereof. Ongoing research using autopsies aims at answering questions on disease mechanisms, e.g., focusing on variants of concern, and future challenges, such as post-COVID conditions. Autopsies are an invaluable tool in medicine and national and international interdisciplinary collaborative autopsy-based research initiatives are essential.

[Cardiac amyloidosis: State of art in 2022]

The 3 main types of cardiac amyloidosis are linked to two protein precursors: AL amyloidosis secondary to free light chain deposits in the context of monoclonal gammopathy (mainly of undetermined significance or myeloma) and transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR), comprising wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRwt for wild type) and hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRv for variant). These diseases are underdiagnosed and highly prevalent in common cardiac phenotypes in recent studies (heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, severe aortic stenosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). Myocardial amyloid infiltration affects all cardiac structures and clinically promotes predominantly heart failure, conductive disorders and cardioembolic events. The search for extracardiac signs makes it possible to arouse diagnostic suspicion. Electrocardiogram, echocardiography and cardiac MRI can suspect cardiac amyloidosis. The diagnostic confirmation follows a simple algorithm including a systematic search for monoclonal gammapathy and a disphosphonate scintigraphy. Histological proof is necessary in case of AL or ATTR amyloidosis with concomitant monoclonal gammopathy in order to initiate specific treatment. Due to the late disease onset in ATTRv, genetic testing must be routine in all cases of ATTR. These diseases are no longer perceived as incurable since recent therapeutic innovations. A better knowledge of the disease is more than ever necessary.

Re-Definition of the Epidemiology of Cardiac Amyloidosis

The epidemiology of cardiac amyloidosis (CA), traditionally considered a rare and incurable disease, has changed drastically over the last ten years, particularly due to the advances in diagnostic methods and therapeutic options in the field of transthyretin CA (ATTR-CA). On the one hand, the possibility of employing cardiac scintigraphy with bone tracers to diagnose ATTR-CA without a biopsy has unveiled the real prevalence of the disease; on the other, the emergence of effective treatments, such as tafamidis, has rendered an early and accurate diagnosis critical. Interestingly, the following subgroups of patients have been found to have a higher prevalence of CA: elderly subjects > 75 years, patients with cardiac hypertrophy hospitalized for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, subjects operated on for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, patients with cardiac hypertrophy not explained by concomitant factors and individuals with aortic valve stenosis. Many studies investigating the prevalence of CA in these particular populations have contributed to rewriting the epidemiology of the disease, increasing the awareness of the medical community for a previously underappreciated condition. In this review, we summarized the latest evidence on the epidemiology of CA according to the different clinical settings typically associated with the disease.

Prevalence and Clinical Outcomes of Transthyretin Amyloidosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Systematic evidence on the prevalence and clinical outcome of transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is missing. We explored: a) the prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis in various patient subgroups, b) survival estimates for ATTR subtypes and c) the effects of novel therapeutics on the natural course of disease.

METHODS

A systematic review of literature published in Medline before 31/12/2021 was performed for the prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis & all-cause mortality of ATTR patients. Extracted data included sample size, age, sex, and all-cause mortality at 1, 2 and 5-years. Subgroup analyses were performed for ATTR subtype i.e., wild type ATTR (wtATTR) vs. hereditary ATTR (htATTR), htATTR genotypes and treatment subgroups.

RESULTS

We identified a total of 62 studies (n=277,882 individuals) reporting the prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis, which was high among patients with a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy phenotype, HFpEF, and elderly with aortic stenosis. Data on ATTR mortality were extracted from 95 studies (n=18,238 ATTR patients). Patients with wtATTR were older (p=7x10^-10 ) and more frequently male (p=5x10^-20 ) vs. htATTR. The 2-year survival of ATTR was 73.3% (95%CI 71.6-76.2); for non-subtyped ATTR 70.4% (95%CI 66.9-73.9), for wtATTR (76.0%, 95%CI: 73.0-78.9) and for htATTR (77.2%, 95%CI: 74.0-80.4); in meta-regression analysis wtATTR was associated with higher survival after adjusting for confounders. There was an interaction between survival and htATTR genotypes (p=10^-15 , Val30Met having the lowest and Val122Ile/Thr60Ala the highest mortality). ATTR 2-year survival was higher on tafamidis/patisiran compared to natural disease course (79.9%, 95%CI: 74.4-85.3 vs. 72.4%, 95%CI 69.8-74.9, p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

We report the prevalence of ATTR in various population subgroups and provide survival estimates for the natural course of disease and the effects of novel therapeutics. Important gaps in worldwide epidemiology research in ATTR were identified. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Incidence and Risk Factors for Pacemaker Implantation in Light Chain and Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis

AIMS

The incidence and risk factors of pacemaker (PM) implantation in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA) are largely unexplored. We sought to characterise the trends in the incidence of permanent PM and to identify baseline predictors of future PM implantation in light chain (AL) and transthyretin (ATTR) CA.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Consecutive patients with AL and ATTR-CA diagnosed at participating Centres (2017-2020) were included. Clinical data recorded within ±1 month from diagnosis were collected from electronic medical records. The primary study outcome was the need for clinically-indicated PM implantation. Patients with PM (n = 41) and/or permanent defibrillator in situ (n = 13) at CA diagnosis were excluded. The study population consisted of 405 patients: 29.4% AL, 14.6% variant ATTR and 56% wild-type ATTR; 82.5% were males, median age 76 years. During a median follow-up of 33 months (interquartile range 21-46), 36 (8.9%) patients experienced the primary outcome: 10 AL-CA, 2 variant ATTR-CA and 24 wild-type ATTR-CA (p = 0.08 at time-to-event analysis). At multivariable analysis, history of atrial fibrillation (hazard ratio [HR] 3.80, p = 0.002), PR interval (HR 1.013, p = 0.002) and QRS >120 ms (HR 4.7, p = 0.001) on baseline ECG were independently associated with PM implantation. The absence of these 3 factors had a negative predictive value of 92% with an area under the curve of 91.8% at 6 months.

CONCLUSION

In a large cohort of AL and ATTR-CA patients, 8.9% implanted a PM in the 3 years following diagnosis. History of atrial fibrillation, PR >200 ms and QRS >120 ms predicted future PM implantation.

Unmasking the Prevalence of Amyloid Cardiomyopathy in the Real World: Results from Phase 2 of AC-TIVE Study, an Italian Nationwide Survey

AIM

To investigate the prevalence of amyloid cardiomyopathy (AC) and the diagnostic accuracy of echocardiographic red flags of AC among consecutive adult patients undergoing transthoracic echocardiogram for reason other than AC in 13 Italian institutions.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This is an Italian prospective multicentric study, involving a clinical and instrumental work-up to assess AC prevalence among patients ≥ 55 years old with an "AC suggestive" echocardiogram (i.e. at least one echocardiographic red flag of AC in hypertrophic, non-dilated left ventricles with preserved ejection fraction). The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (#NCT04738266). 381 patients with an "AC suggestive" echocardiogram were identified among a cohort of 5315 screened subjects. 217 patients completed the investigations. A final diagnosis of AC was made in 62 patients with an estimated prevalence of 29% (95% CI: 23%-35%). Transthyretin-related AC (ATTR-AC) was diagnosed in 51 and light chain related AC (AL-AC) in 11 patients. Either apical sparing or a combination of ≥ 2 other echocardiographic red flags, excluding interatrial septum thickness, provided a diagnostic accuracy > 70%.

CONCLUSION

In a cohort of consecutive adults with echocardiographic findings suggestive of AC and preserved LVEF, the prevalence of AC (either ATTR or AL) was 29%. Easily available echocardiographic red flags, when combined together, demonstrated good diagnostic accuracy.