The American Heart Association has launched a nationwide quality improvement initiative designed to strengthen the system of care for people living with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). This serious condition, caused by abnormal protein buildup that impairs the heart's ability to pump blood, is often underdiagnosed and, when left untreated, can lead to heart failure and significantly shorten life expectancy. The three-year effort, financially supported by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, brings together a cohort of 10 multidisciplinary healthcare teams from across the country in a learning collaborative focused on the full patient journey.
Early recognition and diagnosis of ATTR-CM is critical, as timely care gives patients access to treatments that can extend survival, preserve physical function, and maintain quality of life. The initiative is designed to improve early diagnosis and coordination of care, ultimately enhancing the patient experience. As awareness of ATTR-CM grows and treatment options advance, patients increasingly need coordinated, specialist-led care, yet building and sustaining these multidisciplinary systems remains challenging for many healthcare centers.
"ATTR-CM is a life-threatening condition that is too often recognized late, when current disease modifying therapy is less effective," said Mat Maurer, M.D., a volunteer member of the American Heart Association's ATTR Amyloidosis Strategic Advisory Group. The collaborative aims to examine the full patient journey—from diagnosis through long-term management—to identify practical, scalable approaches that can support earlier recognition, more coordinated care, and better outcomes. For more information about the initiative and to see a list of participating healthcare centers, visit https://heart.org/ATTRCMDiscovery.
Through shared learning, participating sites will work to gain insights into current ATTR-CM practice pathways and amplify approaches that improve care coordination, support earlier identification, and strengthen long-term management. The focus on uncovering gaps in care and uniting experts across medical specialties aims to help build a more integrated system that improves outcomes for patients nationwide. "We are proud to support the American Heart Association's new ATTR-CM initiative and its focus on understanding gaps in care, sharing successful models and strengthening systems," said Sameer Bansilal, M.D., M.S., of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.
The implications of this initiative extend beyond immediate patient care, representing a strategic move to systematize and scale multidisciplinary approaches for complex cardiovascular diseases. For business and technology leaders in healthcare, it highlights the growing importance of collaborative care models and data-driven pathway improvements. Successfully identifying and replicating effective models could influence care standards, resource allocation, and technology integration for specialty care coordination across the U.S. healthcare system.
