Abstract:

The management of patients with AL requires meticulous risk assessment in order to plan treatment strategy and reduce the risk of treatment related complications. The most important prognostic feature and poor risk factor is amyloidotic involvement of the heart. Traditional techniques, such as ultrasonography provide significant information on the severity of cardiac amyloidosis, however cardiac biomarkers (cardiac Troponins and NTproBNP) are simpler to perform, are available in almost every lab or as a bedside test, are noninvasive, have reasonable cost, and are powerful predictors of outcome and assess the risk of treatment related complications (especially early death) in patients considered for autologous transplantation. Refinement of cardiac biomarker-based prognostic system with additional markers may help identify subgroups of patients at special risk. Additional markers could also help assess the risk of renal or liver damage or autonomic dysfunction and could help improve management. There are no formal guidelines for the management of AL patients based on risk stratification systems; however, recommendations have been published and current evidence supports the use of cardiac biomarkers as a helpful guide to treatment strategy.© 2011 Informa UK, Ltd.

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Cited By :3Export Date: 21 February 2017

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