3 Men Rid Themselves of a Deadly Heart Condition. Finding Out How Might Help Others
U.S. News & World Report By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, June 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who develop a devastating heart condition have new reason to hope after a study identified three men whose condition spontaneously reversed.
The condition is called transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis. It involves a buildup of sticky, toxic proteins that can lead to heart failure. About half of patients die from the progressive disease within four years of diagnosis.
Until now, it was believed to be irreversible.
America's 25 Healthiest Communities
View All 29 Slides
Yet these three men, aged 68, 76 and 82, recovered. Not only did their symptoms improve, but cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) scans showed that the buildup of amyloid proteins in the heart had cleared, according to a new report.
We have seen for the first time that the heart can get better with this disease," said lead study author Marianna Fontana, a professor in the division of medicine at University College London, in the United Kingdom.
