{"id":7136,"date":"2022-09-20T13:11:31","date_gmt":"2022-09-20T13:11:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/?p=7136"},"modified":"2022-09-29T07:35:52","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T07:35:52","slug":"gene-silencing-drugs-are-among-the-innovative-treatments-for-stiff-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/senior-health\/gene-silencing-drugs-are-among-the-innovative-treatments-for-stiff-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"Gene-silencing drugs are among the innovative treatments for stiff heart"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"background-color:#f2f2f2;color:#32373c\" class=\"wp-block-atomic-blocks-ab-profile-box round ab-has-avatar ab-font-size-14 ab-block-profile ab-profile-columns\"><div class=\"ab-profile-column ab-profile-avatar-wrap\"><div class=\"ab-profile-image-wrap\"><figure class=\"ab-profile-image-square\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"386\" height=\"385\" class=\"ab-profile-avatar wp-image-7137\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2022\/09\/07210710\/p5-Ross-Murphy-Headshot.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2022\/09\/07210710\/p5-Ross-Murphy-Headshot.png 386w, https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2022\/09\/07210710\/p5-Ross-Murphy-Headshot-125x125.png 125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 386px) 100vw, 386px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ab-profile-column ab-profile-content-wrap\"><h2 class=\"ab-profile-name\" style=\"color:#32373c\">Dr Ross Murphy<\/h2><p class=\"ab-profile-title\" style=\"color:#32373c\">Consultant Cardiologist, St James&#8217; Hospital<\/p><div class=\"ab-profile-text\"><\/div><ul class=\"ab-social-links\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Cardiac amyloidosis is a long-described\u202fdisorder where a waxy, protein-like substance is deposited on the heart muscle making it stiff and, ultimately, weak.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Cardiac amyloidosis can cause breathlessness (labelled as \u2018heart failure\u2019) and heart rhythm problems that can lead to death. It has two main types: one is driven by proteins made by the bone marrow\u202fand the other by proteins made in the liver.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"healt-1638420440\"><div class=\"healt-adlabel\">Advertisements<\/div><div id=\"healt-1792470035\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><a data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yourheartsmessage.ie\/\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"a2t-link\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"2472_Vyndaqel_YHM_DigitalAds_750X250_AUG22_Optimised2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2022\/09\/07210706\/2472_Vyndaqel_YHM_DigitalAds_750X250_AUG22_Optimised2.gif\" alt=\"\"  width=\"750\" height=\"250\"  style=\"display: inline-block;\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-stiff-heart-syndrome\"><strong>Stiff heart syndrome<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Both reproduce the same, stiff heart that looks overgrown or too thick on cardiac ultrasound.\u202fIt can cause neuropathy\u202fwhen protein is deposited in nerves.\u202fThis leads to tingling in the arms and legs and, sometimes, loss of control\u202fon bowel and bladder function.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bone marrow variety\u202fis essentially a type of low-grade cancer requiring chemotherapy to control it. The liver-driven process\u202fis often a genetic disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n<script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"7156\" data-bid=\"94\" data-no-track=\"impressions\">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<\/script>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Available treatment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Until the last two years, there was little available treatment, apart from a liver transplant that can sometimes be done if caught early enough. The liver version (TTR amyloid) can also occur in the elderly even if they don\u2019t have the gene disorder or a family history of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thankfully, there has been a sudden treatment breakthrough using a variety of novel technologies (including \u2018gene-silencing\u2019 drugs with possible long-term effects).\u202fTwo new medications are now licenced in Ireland: a tablet-a-day\u202fand another involving intermittent infusion injections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><meta charset=\"utf-8\">We must find affected families and pick up cases that are still early in development.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Helping families<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We now have viable treatment to halt the deposition of these proteins. Large-scale clinical studies published years ago suggest that the earlier\u202fthe patient receives treatment, the better the long-term outcome.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We must find affected families and pick up cases that are still early in development \u2014 to increase the amount of genetic testing and offer some hope\u202ffor a disorder\u202fthat, for so long, had no treatment\u200b\u200b.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"healt-4241656687\"><div class=\"healt-adlabel\">Advertisements<\/div><div id=\"healt-3390688770\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><a data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yourheartsmessage.ie\/\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"a2t-link\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"2472_Vyndaqel_YHM_DigitalAds_750X250_AUG22_Optimised2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2022\/09\/07210706\/2472_Vyndaqel_YHM_DigitalAds_750X250_AUG22_Optimised2.gif\" alt=\"\"  width=\"750\" height=\"250\"  style=\"display: inline-block;\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cardiac amyloidosis is a long-described\u202fdisorder where a waxy, protein-like substance is deposited on the heart muscle making it stiff and, ultimately, weak. Cardiac amyloidosis can cause breathlessness (labelled as \u2018heart failure\u2019) and heart rhythm problems that can lead to death. It has two main types: one is driven by proteins made by the bone marrow\u202fand &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/senior-health\/gene-silencing-drugs-are-among-the-innovative-treatments-for-stiff-heart\/\">Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":7138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5746],"tags":[5747],"class_list":["post-7136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-senior-health","tag-senior-health-q3-2022"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2022\/09\/07210709\/GettyImages-1147979926-600x400.png","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2022\/09\/07210709\/GettyImages-1147979926-600x600.png","author_info":{"display_name":"henryphillips","author_link":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/author\/henryphillips\/"},"vicky_category_order":[{"category_id":5746,"order":"3"}],"vicky_index_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7136"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7198,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7136\/revisions\/7198"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}