Cardiac Amyloidosis with Dr. Syed Bukhari The innate human curiosity and thirst for knowledge have driven us to growth and prosperity for centuries. Yet, after each discovery, we're left thinking, "What's next?" "Are there more avenues to explore?" "Where's the true final frontier?" Such an instinct will ensure humanity's growth and preservation for many years to come. Although resounding breakthroughs are the ones that make the news or the first page in the papers, smaller but sometimes more applaudable progress is made every day, and we must bring to the spotlight medicine's unsung heroes. Their unshakeable dedication and unyielding patience were the seed that was always going to bring copious fruit to the field of medicine. "I always wanted to be a doctor [...] When I started primary school, from that point I had in my mind that I would become a doctor and that never changed." These are the words of Dr. Syed Bukhari, MD, a researcher from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who has received the ANSC (i.e., American Society of Nuclear Cardiology) 2020 Young Investigator Award in Clinical Science for his abstract, "Development and Validation of a Diagnostic Model for Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis." Through his solid research and deserved recognition, Dr. Bukhari strives towards bringing more awareness towards this not only misdiagnosed disease but also underdiagnosed" cardiac disease.
Acknowledging the necessity to spread the word on his mission, we at Top Doctor Magazine had the honor and the pleasure to interview Dr. Bukhari himself and decode cardiac amyloidosis through his wisdom and encyclopedic wealth of knowledge. Therefore, join us in today's learning quest, and we will explain the ins and outs of this under-researched disease, from causes and symptoms to available avenues to amelioration!
First Steps into the World of Cardiac Amyloidosis Cardiac amyloidosis (or "stiff heart syndrome") is a disorder stemming from amyloid proteins (i.e., liver proteins that carry thyroid hormone and vitamin A in the blood). Due to various reasons (e.g., the aging process, genetics, etc.), these proteins create deposits in the heart tissue (or other organs), thus impeding the heart from relaxing. This process, in turn, hinders the heart from accumulating and pumping enough blood to the body. Hence, patients with cardiac amyloidosis experience symptoms akin to heart failures, such as shortness of breath and constant fatigue. Moreover, the heart itself begins to work at a lower capacity, resulting in a condition called bradycardia (i.e., slow heart). Unless treated, cardiac amyloidosis can prove fatal. Dr. Bukhari further discusses cardiac amyloidosis by mentioning the two faces of this disease: immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (localized in the patient's bone marrow) and transthyretin amyloidosis (localized in the heart tissue).
PAGE
|
8
