Compared with controls (136.3 ± 24.4%, P < 0.05), mean values for MCF were significantly reduced in LVH (HHD:92.6 ± 20%, HCM:80 ± 20.3%, transthyretin CA:74.9 ± 32.2% and light-chain (AL) CA:50.5 ± 21.4%).
Of these, 233 (76%) agreed to participate in the study and 101 (73 ± 8 years; 68% females) showed left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) ≥ 12 mm and underwent additional studies to diagnose AL and ATTR amyloidosis.
One hundred and fourteen patients with LVH underwent a cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and a <sup>99m</sup>Tc-hydroxymethylene-diphosphonate scintigraphy (<sup>99m</sup>Tc-HMDP) allowing to discriminate three groups of diagnoses: CA (n = 50 including 31, 18 and 1 ATTR, AL and AA amyloidosis), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (n = 19) and unspecific cardiomyopathy (n = 45).
The clinical characteristics of ATTR are heterogeneous: men are more likely to be affected and onset symptoms are not obvious in the heart and mainly include peripheral neuropathy and autonomic neuropathy; however, LV hypertrophy, especially a thick ventricular septum and posterior wall with preserved LVEF, are often detected on echocardiography.Abnormal ECG manifestations are common.
Transthyretin amyloidosis associated with variant V122I (ATTRV122I) is likely to be an important cause of heart failure in Afro-Caribbean populations, but the high prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and lack of awareness of this genetic disorder pose diagnostic hurdles.