Heart failure & cardiomyopathies
Antemortem Underdiagnosis of Cardiac Amyloidosis in Sudden Cardiac Death Victims
Authors' conclusion
Cardiac amyloidosis can be associated with SCD and is often undiagnosed during life. Coronary infiltration may contribute to SCD risk.
Study context
- Population
- Sudden cardiac death (SCD) cases referred to a specialist cardiac pathology centre, 1994–2023
- Participants
- 8,107 cases
- Outcome
- Clinical and pathologic characteristics of SCD decedents with histologically confirmed cardiac amyloidosis
Methodological detailsautopsy-based registry, specialist cardiac pathology centre
- Autopsy-based registry
- Specialist cardiac pathology centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Cardiac amyloidosis at autopsy
- Cardiac amyloidosis identified
- 33 cases (0.4%)
- Cardiac amyloidosis responsible for SCD
- 26 (79%)
- Male
- 64%
- Mean age
- 67 ± 18 years
- Aged <50 years
- 18%
- Antemortem cardiac symptoms
- 39%
- Known cardiac amyloidosis diagnosis before death
- 1 patient (3%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Coronary amyloid infiltration
P = 0.026
Original publication
Antemortem Underdiagnosis of Cardiac Amyloidosis in Sudden Cardiac Death Victims. JACC Clin Electrophysiol. Published 20 November 2025. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it