Amyloidosis Resource Center - All Articles
Health ConditionsRare DiseasesAmyloidosis

Amyloidosis - All Articles

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Amyloidosis is a rare disease that occurs when a protein called amyloid builds up in your tissues and organs. Symptoms can include fatigue, weight loss, swelling in your legs and ankles, and shortness of breath. Treatment for amyloidosis can include chemotherapy, medications to reduce protein production, or organ transplantation. Lifestyle factors, such as attending to underlying conditions and adhering to prescribed treatments, are also important parts of managing the disease.

Common Questions & Answers

What causes amyloidosis?

Some forms of amyloidosis are hereditary, while other types are caused by external factors like inflammatory diseases, chronic infections, or long-term dialysis.

The main symptoms of amyloidosis include severe fatigue and weakness, dizziness upon standing, weight loss without trying, shortness of breath, and numbness or tingling in the hands or feet.

There's no cure for amyloidosis. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms and slowing progression.

Organs that may be affected by amyloidosis include the heart, kidneys, digestive tract, liver, spleen, and nerves.

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Everyday Health’s team of board-certified physicians and health professionals contribute to the creation and review of content, ensuring that the information is useful, up to date, and accurate.
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Joy Tanaka, PhD

Medical Reviewer

Joy Tanaka, PhD, specializes in clinical molecular genetics. She is dedicated to integrating excellent clinical care with cutting-edge medical research for patients with rare and undiagnosed disorders, and is focused on pursuing questions at the interface between genetics and human disease with the goal of developing novel therapies and treatments.

Dr. Tanaka received her PhD from Yale University School of Medicine, where she was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Medical Research Scholar and recipient of the George Robert Pfeiffer Fellowship for Translational Medicine. She completed her clinical fellowship in cytogenetics and clinical molecular genetics at Columbia University and New York Presbyterian Hospital, and is currently associate clinical laboratory director at Rady Children's Hospital Institute for Genomic Medicine in San Diego, California.

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Kalyan Banda, MD

Medical Reviewer

Dr. Kalyan Banda received his medical degree from India’s Christian Medical College in Vellore. During his time in both medical school and as an NIH Fogarty-Ellison global health fellow, his research focused on water, sanitation, and infectious diseases.

Dr. Banda completed his internship and residency in internal medicine, as well as his research fellowship on the role of cell surface sugars in human diseases, at the University of California in San Diego. He is currently a senior fellow at the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, both in Seattle, where he is completing his clinical training in hematology and oncology while pursuing his passion for research on how cells become cancerous.

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Chung Yoon, MD

Medical Reviewer
Castle Connolly Top Doctor
Chung Yoon, MD, is a noninvasive cardiologist with a passion for diagnosis, prevention, intervention, and treatment of a wide range of heart and cardiovascular disorders. He enjoys clinical decision-making and providing patient care in both hospital and outpatient settings. He excels at analytical and decision-making skills and building connection and trust with patients and their families.
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