Skip to main content
. 2022 Mar 14;18(2):59–72. doi: 10.14797/mdcvj.1050

Table 1.

General treatment strategies for cardiac amyloidosis subtypes. Adapted from @Springer Science + Business Media LLC, Stern and Kittleson.2 GDMT: guideline-directed medical treatment *with ace-inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, angiotensin receptor blocker-neprilysin inhibitor, beta-blockers, aldosterone antagonists, sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors; AF: atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter; DOAC: direct oral anticoagulant; VKA: vitamin-K antagonist; PPM: permanent pacemaker; ICD: implantable cardioverter defibrillator; VT: ventricular tachycardia; SCD: aborted sudden cardiac death; HRS: Heart Rhythm Society; AL: light chain amyloidosis; ATTRv: hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis; ATTRwt: wild-type ATTR amyloidosis; CM: cardiomyopathy; PN: polyneuropathy; PO: per oral administration; SQ: subcutaneous administration; IV: intravenous administration; FDA: Food and Drug Administration; CyBorD: cyclophosphamide-bortezomib-dexamethasone; BMD: bortezomib-melphalan-dexamethasone; ASCT: autologous stem cell transplant


TREATMENT CATEGORY TREATMENT COMMENTS AND CAVEATS

Heart failure Loop diuretics Favor bioavailable (bumetanide, torsemide)

GDMT* if tolerated Clinical benefit not established
May be poorly tolerated due to restrictive physiology and renal dysfunction

Autonomic dysfunction (1) Midodrine
(2) Droxidopa
(3) Pyridostigmine
(4) Compression stockings
(1–3) Usually AL-CA and ATTRv-CA
(3) Not formally studied in CA
(4) For orthostasis and mobilization of peripheral edema for all types of CA

Arrhythmias

Medical Amiodarone (AF) Usually tolerated over nodal blocking agents due to tendency for conduction disease and heart rate dependence; no difference for rate or rhythm control

Anticoagulation (AF) DOAC or VKA
Prescribed regardless of CHA2DS2-VASc score

Device PPM (Heart block) CRT may be considered in select PPM-dependent patients

ICD (VT/SCD) Heart Rhythm Society recommendation75:
Primary prevention: AL-CA with NSVT with > 1 yr life expectancy (IIb)
Secondary: > 1 yr life expectancy (Ic)

Advanced therapies Heart transplant AL-CM: select patients with good response to chemotherapy/immunotherapy and minimal extracardiac involvement
ATTR-CM: Select patients with minimal extracardiac symptoms

Heart-liver transplant ATTRv-CM + PN: liver transplant may be unnecessary in the future with advances in silencer therapy

Currently available disease-modifying therapy

ATTR-CA

ATTRwt-CM (1) Tafamidis
(2) Diflunisal
TTR stabilizers: halts disease progression
PO tablets
(1) FDA approved
(2) Off-label, NSAID: contraindicated for renal failure and thrombocytopenia; used cautiously with anticoagulation and gastrointestinal bleed

ATTRv-CM (1) Tafamidis
(2) Diflunisal

ATTRv-CM + PN (1) Tafamidis
(2) Inotersen
(3) Patisiran
(4) Diflunisal
TTR stabilizers: (1) FDA approved (4) off-label
TTR silencers: prevent amyloid formation
(2) SQ, risk of thrombocytopenia and glomerulonephritis
(3) IV, fewer reported side effects

ATTRv-PN (1) Inotersen
(2) Patisiran
(3) Diflunisal
TTR silencers (1,2)
TTR stabilizer (3) off label

AL-CA

Chemotherapy CyBorD/BMD Most common chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not candidates for ASCT and as up-front therapy with daratumumab
Corticosteroids/volume of therapy may precipitate decompensated heart failure

Immunotherapy Daratumumab Anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody
Only FDA-approved therapy for AL amyloidosis
Up-front therapy combined with bortezomib-based chemotherapy regimens

(1) Lenalidomide
(2) Pomalidomide
(3) Thalidomide
Thalidomide analogs (1–3):
Generally reserved for relapsed disease
Potential cardiac and renal toxicity

Transplant High-dose melphalan + ASCT Preferred approach but rarely offered if significant cardiac and/or other organ involvement
May be performed after heart transplantation