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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffAnyone can develop primary amyloidosis, but certain factors place you at greater risk:
- Age. The majority of people who develop amyloidosis are older than 60.
- Other diseases. You may be at increased risk if you have a chronic infectious or inflammatory disease. People who have multiple myeloma — a form of bone marrow cancer — are also at increased risk of amyloidosis.
- Family history. Some cases of amyloidosis are inherited.
- Kidney dialysis. If you have kidney disease requiring kidney dialysis, you have an increased risk of dialysis-associated amyloidosis. This is because dialysis can't remove large proteins from the blood, so large, abnormal proteins may build up and deposit in surrounding tissues. This condition is less common with modern dialysis techniques.
References
- Gorevic PD. An overview of amyloidosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 25, 2011.
- Amyloidosis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec12/ch160/ch160a.html. Accessed June 25, 2011.
- Naqvi BH, et al. Amyloidosis. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..C2009-0-38600-6--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&about=true&uniqId=230100505-53. Accessed June 25, 2011.
- Seldin DC, et al. Amyloidosis. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Online. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2863105. Accessed June 25, 2011.
- Rajkumar SV. Prognosis and treatment of immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis and light and heavy chain deposition diseases. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 25, 2011.
- Gertz MA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 26, 2011.
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