Circulation. Heart failure
-
Background Cardiac amyloidosis is a substantially underdiagnosed disease, and contemporary estimates of the epidemiology of amyloidosis are lacking. This study aims to determine the incidence and prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis among Medicare beneficiaries from 2000 to 2012. Methods and Results Medicare beneficiaries were counted in the prevalence cohort in each year they had (1) ≥1 principal or secondary International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code for amyloidosis and (2) ≥1 principal or secondary International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code for heart failure or cardiomyopathy within 2 years after the systemic amyloidosis code. ⋯ Conclusions The incidence and prevalence rates of cardiac amyloidosis are higher than previously thought. The incidence and prevalence rates of cardiac amyloidosis among hospitalized patients have increased since 2000, particularly among specific patient subgroups and after 2006, suggesting improved amyloidosis awareness and higher diagnostic rates with noninvasive imaging. In light of these trends, cardiac amyloidosis should be considered during the initial work up of patients ≥65 years old hospitalized with heart failure.