Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis

Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) is an infiltrative cardiomyopathy caused by amyloid fibril deposition, leading to heart failure and arrhythmias. Despite advances in diagnosis, the disease remains commonly unrecognized and presents heterogeneously. Recent therapies targeting transthyretin stabilization and gene silencing have improved outcomes, but current staging systems based on biological and functional markers have limited ability to guide treatment. Imaging techniques such as cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) provide tissue characterization, but noninvasive molecular imaging of myocardial fibrotic activity remains limited. Positron emission tomography (PET) tracers targeting fibroblast activation protein (FAPI), labeled with gallium-68 (68Ga), offer a promising approach to detect and quantify fibroblast activity associated with myocardial remodeling. This study aims to evaluate \[68Ga\]Ga-FAPI PET imaging for staging ATTR-CM and distinguishing patients with disease progression under therapy. The investigators hypothesize that \[68Ga\]Ga-FAPI uptake reflects fibrotic activity correlating with disease severity and progression. If validated, \[68Ga\]Ga-FAPI PET could serve as a novel biomarker for improved staging and personalized strategies in ATTR-CM.

CONCERTO is a retrospective, observational, multicentric and single-arm study to perform an external validation of the cloud-based and AI-powered electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis platform, named Willem™, to detect Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA). Thus, this study will assess Willem™ ability to distinguish between truly diagnosed ATTR-CA patients and confirmed non-ATTR-CA patients from ECG data.

Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (TTR-CA) is a heart disease that mainly affects older adults and often leads to reduced physical capacity, muscle weakness, frailty, and a decline in quality of life. While current medical treatments can slow disease progression, they do not fully address functional limitations or muscle deterioration. The EFICAC-TTR study is a prospective, randomized, multicenter clinical trial designed to evaluate whether a combined non-pharmacological intervention can improve physical function in patients aged 70 years or older with confirmed TTR-CA. A total of 102 participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) usual medical care, (2) a home-based multicomponent exercise program combined with fiber supplementation, or (3) the same exercise program combined with creatine monohydrate and β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation. The exercise program is adapted to each participant's functional level and is performed at home. The main outcomes of the study are changes in walking capacity, measured by the 6-minute walk test, and muscle strength, assessed by handgrip strength after 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes include changes in body composition, frailty, quality of life, and clinical events, while mechanistic biomarkers are assessed as exploratory outcomes. This study aims to determine whether combining exercise with nutritional supplementation can safely improve functional capacity and overall health in older adults with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.

Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis causes debilitating heart failure in older adults. The proposed research will develop a personalized exercise training program to improve functional capacity in patients on optimal treatment for transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis. This is a vital next step to improve functional capacity and quality of life of people suffering from transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.