Cardiac amyloidosis trial

Background

Patients with cardiac amyloidosis (mostly due to AL or ATTR amyloidosis, occasionally related to other types of amyloidosis) often experience symptoms of angina (chest tightness or breathlessness on exertion). The mechanisms whereby amyloidosis causes these symptoms are not fully understood. We often use cardiac MRI to investigate patients with symptoms suggestive of angina to assess the blood flow (perfusion) to the heart muscle. Where abnormalities in blood flow are detected, patients are usually referred for coronary angiography for further assessment.

We are recruiting patients with cardiac amyloidosis and evidence of abnormal perfusion on cardiac MRI to undergo further assessment of heart blood flow at the time of coronary angiography. This will help us understand how amyloidosis affects blood flow to the heart muscle and we hope in the future we may be able to develop treatments to target this.