Res 1047-2025

Whereas, Amyloidosis is a rare disease that develops when abnormal proteins called amyloids build up in the body's organs, such as the liver, spleen, kidney, heart, and brain, potentially causing them damage and leading to adverse outcomes; and Whereas, The various types of amyloidosis, categorized by the type of protein affected, include, but are not limited to, primary or light chain amyloidosis (AL), secondary or inflammatory amyloidosis (AA), and inherited amyloidosis (ATTR and wild-type transthyretin amyloid); and Whereas, The cause of amyloidosis varies by type but can be largely attributed to heredity factors and less often by external factors like inflammatory diseases or long-term dialysis; and Whereas, Symptoms of amyloidosis also vary by type and by which organs have been affected, but may include weakness or shortness of breath, fainting, leg swelling, excessive fatigue, unexplained weight loss, numbness in hands, and skin changes; and Whereas, There is no cure for amyloidosis, however, treatments such as chemotherapy, heart medication, autologous blood stem cell transplant, dialysis, and organ transplant can slow the progression of the disease and ease its symptoms; and Whereas, In the United States, between 1,275 and 3,200 new cases are diagnosed annually, according to researchers at the Boston Medical Center; and Whereas, Almost 70 percent of people with amyloidosis are men, according to John Hopkins Medicine; and Whereas, According to the Cleveland Clinic, the median age at diagnosis is 64 years old; and Whereas, A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that Black people are disproportionately affected by the disease; and Whereas, The life expectancy of someone living with amyloidosis can range from 6 months to over 15 years depending on the type of amyloidosis, and how promptly it is detected and treated, according to a study by researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine; and Whereas, Advancements in the development of treatments have led to long-term remission in patients with the disease, and researchers from the aforementioned study found that 1 in 5 patients are attaining longevity of 10 years after diagnosis; and Whereas, A number of New York City medical institutions are pioneering multidisciplinary amyloidosis treatments, therapies, and clinical trials, including, but not limited to, New York Presbyterian, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Weill Cornell Medical Center, and Memorial Sloan Kettering; and Whereas, A 2018 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that looked at geographic disparities among amyloidosis cases from 1979 to 2015 found that the rate of amyloidosis cases for New York State was 4.9 per 1 million people, compared to a nationwide median of 5.5 cases per 1 million; and Whereas, A 2021 study by scholars at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai that calculated the prevalence of individuals at risk of developing inherited amyloidosis in New York City (NYC) using genomic screening estimated that approximately 4 percent of Black and 1 percent of Hispanic/Latinx New Yorkers possessed the gene variant most associated with cardiac amyloidosis; and Whereas, In March of 2025, the State of New Jersey's state legislature passed a resolution to designate March as Amyloidosis Awareness Month in the state; and Whereas, Designating March as Amyloidosis Awareness Month in NYC will educate the public about the signs and symptoms of this rare condition, leading to earlier and more frequent detection and diagnoses, and bring attention to medical research being done to improve and develop treatments; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York recognizes March annually as Amyloidosis Awareness Month in the City of New York. JC LS #20018 07/03/2025 1