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REVIEW ARTICLE

Not so rare after all: Rethinking hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis

Yassine Bencharef1 Ilenia Monaco1 Fouad M. Sekkal1 Mounia Sedrati1 Insaf Chouarfia1 Fatima Z. Samet Bouhaik1 Valeria Trivelloni1 Dario Bottigliero1*
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1 Department of Cardiology, Centre Hospitalier Général Victor Jousselin de Dreux, Dreux, Centre-Val de Loire, France
Received: 22 May 2026 | Revised: 21 July 2026 | Accepted: 24 July 2026 | Published online: 28 August 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
Abstract

Introduction: Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRv) is a progressive multi-systemic disorder caused by extracellular deposits of misfolded transthyretin (TTR) protein. Presenting as cardiomyopathy, polyneuropathy, or mixed phenotypes, ATTRv exhibits high clinical heterogeneity, often causing diagnostic delays.

Objective: This narrative review provides an updated overview of emerging epidemiological and registry insights, genotype–phenotype correlations, current diagnostic modalities, and evolving individualized therapies for ATTRv, emphasizing the clinical relevance of early identification.

Methods: A literature search was conducted across medical databases to identify recent studies evaluating the clinical characteristics, diagnostic approaches, and therapeutic outcomes of ATTRv. Data from multinational registries, including the Transthyretin Amyloidosis Outcomes Survey, were examined to assess phenotypic variability across geographical regions and genotypes.

Results: ATTRv presents with early- or late-onset phenotypes, the latter often showing advanced neurological and cardiac involvement at diagnosis, with Val30Met remaining the most prevalent global variant. Early recognition of clinical “red flags” and the use of bone scintigraphy facilitate prompt diagnosis, which is crucial for the timely initiation of disease-modifying therapies—including TTR stabilizers (e.g., tafamidis) and second-generation gene silencers—to suppress disease progression, improve survival, and reduce adverse cardiovascular events.

Conclusion: Therapeutic strategies for ATTRv have advanced remarkably, rendering a historically fatal condition increasingly manageable. Emerging studies demonstrate that this condition is not as rare as commonly believed. Given its systemic nature, a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach remains crucial for screening and long-term patient care.

Keywords
Transthyretin amyloidosis
Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis cardiomyopathy
Hereditary amyloidosis
Tafamidis
Gene silencers
Early diagnosis
Disease-modifying therapy
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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Eurasian Journal of Medicine and Oncology, Electronic ISSN: 2587-196X Print ISSN: 2587-2400, Published by AccScience Publishing