ATTR-CM Diagnosis Lags by More Than a Year After HF in Medicare Population

Key Takeaways

• Claims-based analysis showed 64% of patients received ATTR-CM diagnosis ≥6 months after incident HF, with median delays approaching 1.4 years and longer using diuretic proxy.
• Diagnostic timeliness remained static from 2016–2022 despite increased ATTR-CM recognition and expanding availability of disease-modifying therapies.
• Comorbid aortic stenosis, CAD, COPD, diabetes, and hypertension increased odds of delay, supporting anchoring on alternative HF etiologies and deferred amyloidosis evaluation.
• Older age, atrial fibrillation, and carpal tunnel syndrome were linked to earlier diagnosis, whereas female sex independently predicted delayed diagnosis and persistent under-recognition.
  
  Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) is no longer considered a rare disease, yet a new study confirms it remains a persistently underdiagnosed one.1 Research published in JAMA Cardiology found that most Medicare beneficiaries with ATTR-CM experienced significant delays for a diagnosis after their initial heart failure (HF) presentation, especially among women and patients with comorbidities.