The family of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf (retired) has said that he has been hospitalized for the last three weeks after his health condition worsened. In a statement posted on Twitter on Mr. Musharraf’s official Twitter account, his family said that he is dealing with Amyloidosis and prayed for his life.
What is Amyloidosis?
According to the NHS (National Health Service) of the UK, Amyloidosis is a group of serious conditions caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body.
Amyloid deposits can build up in the brain, kidneys, heart, spleen, and other parts of the body.
The build-up of these protein deposits can make it difficult for the tissues and organs to work properly.
What is the cause of Amyloidosis?
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Amyloidosis may be secondary to a different health condition or can develop as a primary condition. Sometimes it is due to a mutation in a gene, but the other times the causes for the Amyloidosis are unknown, it added.
Amyloidosis Types
Following are the different types of the Amyloidosis:
Light-chain (AL) Amyloidosis: It can affect the heart, kidneys, spleen, and other organs. People who are suffering from conditions such as a bone marrow illness called Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia are more likely to have AL amyloidosis.
AA Amyloidosis: It is caused by fragments of amyloid A protein and affects the kidneys in about 80% of cases. It can complicate chronic diseases characterized by inflammation, such as IBS (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) or RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis).
Transthyretin Amyloidosis (ATTR): It can be inherited from a family member. Transthyretin is a protein that is made in the liver. Excessive normal (wild-type ATTR) or mutant transthyretin can cause the deposits of amyloid.
Amyloidosis Symptoms
The general symptoms of Amyloidosis include
- Losing weight without trying
- Swelling in the legs, ankles/feet, belly
- Bleeding more than usual after an injury
- Numbness, pain, or tingling in hands or feet
- Skin that bruises easily
- Feeling very weak or tired
- Increased tongue size
- Shortness of breath
Amyloidosis Diagnosis and Treatment
The diagnosis of Amyloidosis is hard, as the symptoms of the disease are generic. The doctors take a small sample of the tissue (biopsy) from the affected part to understand the type of Amyloidosis and based on this type, the treatment will be done.
Currently, there is a cure for amyloidosis. The amyloid deposits can’t be directly removed. So doctors may discuss Chemotherapy, Bone marrow transplants.
Some medicines are also used to treat Amyloidosis.