Human bodies constantly produce thousands of perfectly folded proteins, but some proteins get misfolded. An excess of these misfolded proteins can overwhelm the body's ability to remove them. When that happens, the rogue proteins bind together and form a substance called amyloid. Webs of amyloid can deposit in any tissue or organ, but some types affect the heart.
Martha Grogan, M.D.external link, opens in a new tab, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and director of the Cardiac Amyloid Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Rochesterexternal link, opens in a new tab, says the treatment approach depends on two important factors: early diagnosis and knowing which type of amyloid a person has.