Key Information
Overview: What attr cm means
attr cm stands for transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathyexternal link, opens in a new tab. It is a form of cardiac amyloidosis in which a protein called transthyretin becomes unstable, misfolds, and builds up as amyloid deposits in the heart muscle. Over time, these deposits make the heart walls thicker and stiffer, so the heart cannot relax and fill normally.
This stiffness can cause symptoms similar to heart failureexternal link, opens in a new tab, including shortness of breath, tiredness, leg swelling, and reduced exercise tolerance. Some people also develop irregular heart rhythms or conduction problems because amyloid can affect the heart’s electrical system as well as its pumping function.
There are two main forms of attr cm. Wild-type ATTR usually develops later in life and is not inherited. Hereditary ATTR is caused by a change in the transthyretin gene and can run in families. Both forms can affect the heart, and some people may also have symptoms in nerves, hands, or other tissues depending on the type and extent of disease.