A NEW

type of MRI scan could be used to spot a hidden but deadly heart condition. Every year about 1,000 Britons are diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis, where a harmful protein called amyloid accumulates in the heart muscle.

If untreated, the heart becomes stiff and unable to effectively pump blood around the body, leading to heart failure. Symptoms such as breathlessness are often mistaken for other heart conditions.

Now UK experts have developed a new imaging technique that uses radio waves to measure the space between cells in the heart where amyloid collects, identifying the extent of the condition. Rapid diagnosis means patients can be started on chemotherapy treatment, which is effective at clearing the protein.