Worcestershire heart specialist to lead groundbreaking research to identify those at risk of rare heart condition

A specialist heart doctor from Worcestershire’s hospitals will lead a research project to try to identify those at risk of rare life-threatening heart conditions and get them a diagnosis and treatment earlier.

Consultant Cardiologist, Dr David Wilson has received a grant from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, to set up specialist heart screening clinics in Worcestershire to spot those who could develop Transthyretin Amyloidosis Cardiomyopathy sooner. It is hoped that identifying those most at risk of the condition can lead to an earlier diagnosis and more timely and effective treatment.

Transthyretin Amyloidosis Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a rare condition that affects the heart. It was previously considered untreatable, but it can lead to progressive heart failure or death if left undiagnosed.

Dr Wilson will be using a digital platform called TriNetX to input a list of diagnoses such as carpal tunnel syndrome and spinal stenosis that are known to be more likely to be present in those with Transthyretin Amyloidosis Cardiomyopathy. The TriNetX system is used at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust to enable its researchers to identify patients eligible for clinical trials through advanced searches of anonymised hospital electronic records.

Using this data Dr Wilson can identify patients who may be at a higher risk of Transthyretin Amyloidosis Cardiomyopathy but who have not yet received a diagnosis. Those patients are then invited to a specialist screening clinic for further testing, which includes an ECG recording, echocardiogram, blood and urine tests, and a full clinical history and examination. If this initial assessment suggests the possibility of Transthyretin Amyloidosis Cardiomyopathy, the patient will be referred to the West Midlands Amyloid Service for confirmation testing, early treatment, and potential enrolment in further clinical trials.

Consultant Cardiologist, Dr David Wilson said: “This grant allows us to carry out this research into Transthyretin Amyloidosis Cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) which has the potential to bring transformational benefits to patients with earlier diagnosis and therefore earlier and more effective treatment against this life-threatening condition.”