Introduction: Initial clinical manifestations of transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) are not well understood, making timely diagnosis challenging. Methods: Patients aged ≥68 years newly diagnosed with ATTR were identified using Medicare Research Identifiable Files. Symptom manifestation and healthcare utilization were measured during 3 years pre-diagnosis; demographics and comorbidity index during 1-year pre-diagnosis. Controls (ATTR-free) were matched 1:1 to patients with ATTR based on age, sex and region; same index date and enrollment as match. Results: We identified 552 matched ATTR-control pairs: mean age 78.3 (standard deviation 6.3) and 64.5% male. Among patients with ATTR (vs controls), cardiovascular conditions (92.9 vs 75.9%) and hospitalization (54.0 vs 35.5%) were frequent during 3 years pre-diagnosis. Conclusion: Patients with ATTR have multiple symptoms and hospitalizations pre-diagnosis, recognition of which may facilitate earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Keywords: Medicare; amyloid; health services research.