Ted Rogers Heart Failure Patient Education

Learn about heart failure, treatment options and how to better manage your health and live with heart failure.

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  • Heart Failure
    • The Heart and How It Works
    • What Is Heart Failure?
    • What Causes Heart Failure?
    • What Are the Symptoms of Heart Failure?
    • How Is Heart Failure Diagnosed?
  • Treatments
    • Introduction to Treatments
    • Sodium Restriction
    • Fluid Restriction
    • Medications
      • Introduction to Medications
      • Beta-Blockers
      • ACEIs & ARBs
      • Sacubitril/valsartan (Entresto™)
      • Ivabradine (Lancora™)
      • Diuretics
      • Aldosterone Antagonists
      • Vasodilators and Nitrates
      • Digoxin
      • Potassium Supplements
      • Intravenous Iron
    • Device Therapies
      • Introduction to Device Therapies
      • ICD
      • CRT
      • LVADs
    • Heart Transplantation
    • End-of-Life Planning
  • Healthy Living
    • Introduction to Heart Healthy Living
    • Nutrition Guide for Heart Failure
    • Potassium and Heart Failure
    • Avoiding Alcohol
    • Exercise and Heart Failure
    • Energy Conservation
    • Working with Heart Failure
    • Coping with Stress
  • Other Conditions
    • Coronary Artery Disease
    • Atrial Fibrillation
    • ARVC
    • Cardiac Amyloidosis
    • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
    • Sarcoidosis
    • Sleep Apnea
  • Patient Tools
    • Preparing for Clinic Appointment
    • Heart Failure Zones
    • Daily Weight Record
    • Expressive Writing Workshop
    • vCHAT-ODYSSEE COVID-19 Study on Quality of Life & Well-Being
    • Heart and Stroke Foundation Report on Heart Failure
    • Additional Resources
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What Is Cardiac Amyloidosis?

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Amyloidosis is a condition where an abnormal protein is deposited in different organs in the body. It can affect the heart, kidneys, spleen, nervous system, skin and digestive tract.

There are many different types of amyloidosis. Most commonly, it is caused by a blood cell cancer – like multiple myeloma or lymphoma. It may also be an inherited condition, and can sometimes be related to inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of amyloidosis depend on which organ is affected.

When the heart is affected, the amyloid proteins make the heart stiff and unable to relax properly. This results in fluid retention and symptoms of heart failure – like shortness of breath, fatigue and swelling. Sometimes amyloidosis can affect the electrical conduction system of the heart, causing abnormally fast or slow heart rhythms.

How is it diagnosed?

Cardiac amyloidosis is often suspected based on abnormalities on the ECG and echocardiogram.

Other tests like a coronary angiogram or cardiac MRI may be helpful, however, in order to confirm the diagnosis a tissue biopsy is needed. Ideally, a biopsy is taken from one of the organs involved. More commonly, a sample of fat is analyzed, called a fat pad biopsy. Other tests, like a bone marrow biopsy, may be considered if there is a suspicion that the amyloidosis is related to a blood cell cancer.

How is it treated?

The treatment varies depending on the type of amyloidosis.

If the amyloidosis is due to a blood cancer, then chemotherapy is the usual treatment. If the abnormal protein is being produced by the liver, sometimes a liver transplant is considered.

Other treatments are aimed at controlling the symptoms of heart failure by regulating the amount of fluid in the body. This involves salt and fluid restriction and also diuretics (water pills).

There are a number of treatments that are currently being tested, and will hopefully improve the symptoms and life expectancy of people with cardiac amyloidosis.

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In This Section:

  • What Is Coronary Artery Disease?
  • What Is Atrial Fibrillation?
  • What Is Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)?
  • What Is Cardiac Amyloidosis?
  • What Is Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy?
  • What Is Sarcoidosis?
  • What Is Sleep Apnea?

About Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research

Through an integrated program of outstanding research, world-class education, and exceptional clinical care, the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research will provide the world with new diagnoses, treatments and tools to help people prevent, manage and survive the devastating consequences of heart failure.

Go to the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research Site

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