The way to a man's heart: prostate samples for the early detection of transthyretin cardiomyopathy.

Transthyretin cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a cardiac condition caused by the deposition of transthyretin (TTR) fibrils in cardiac tissue. Recent studies have shown that ATTR amyloidosis may be present in a significant proportion of patients with heart failure, transcatheter aortic valve repair, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The prevalence of ATTR-CM may be even higher among Black Americans due to a specific genetic variant. This article proposes the possibility of using prostate samples to screen for amyloid deposits as a potential method for early detection of ATTR-CM. Several studies have shown that a percentage of prostate samples contain amyloid deposits, and a significant proportion of these patients may develop cardiac involvement. However, further research is needed to accurately distinguish TTR amyloid from other types and to determine the clinical relevance of prostatic amyloid deposits. [Extracted from the article]