Symptoms for cardiac amyloidosis overlap with other conditions

Cardiac amyloidosis is irreversible thickening of the heart muscle that typically presents as a form of congestive heart failure. It is overlooked often because the symptoms can masquerade as other conditions. Unfortunately, there aren't any preventive strategies for cardiac amyloidosis, says Dr. Melissa Lyle, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist.

"So the key, really, is early detection," says Dr. Lyle. "We want to make sure that we can detect these patients earlier, to get them on the right treatments."

She says it's important that patients bring any concerning symptoms to their health care provide, as soon as possible.

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Lyle explains what those symptoms might be and talks about new therapies for treating cardiac amyloidosis.

To practice safe social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, this interview was conducted using video conferencing. The sound and video quality are representative of the technology used. For the safety of its patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in an area not designated for patient care, where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.

Read the full transcript.

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Connect with others talking about cardiac amyloidosis and supporting one another in the Heart & Blood Health support group.