Pakistan’s ex-military ruler Pervez Musharraf dies of amyloidosis; know more about the rare condition

General (retd) Musharraf died at a hospital in Dubai.

He had been undergoing treatment at the American Hospital Dubai. He had been living in Dubai since 2016.

Former President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf (Retd) passes away after a prolonged illness, at a hospital in Dubai: Pakistan’s Geo News pic.twitter.com/W1fGRVb6xZ

— ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2023

In a statement issued immediately after Musharraf’s death, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan military, said that Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad and all the services chiefs express their heartfelt condolences.

“May Allah bless the departed soul and give strength to the bereaved family,” it said.

What is the condition all about?

Dr Atul Ingale, Consultant Nephrologist and Transplant Physician, Director, Department of Nephrology, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi said that the condition can cause organ dysfunction and death.

According to a National Center for Biotechnology Information paper, it affects less than 2,00,000 people in the United States which is why it is classified as a rare disease by the National Institutes of Health.

Dr Subhendu Mohanty, interventional cardiologist, Sharda Hospital, Noida said that amyloidosis involves different organs like kidney, heart, sometimes intestines, liver etc. “Symptoms depend on the organ. They can present with very different symptoms like of kidney failure, heart failure or liver failure. Very wide range of symptoms. Since it is an uncommon illness, one can’t really pick up with symptoms. It needs a strong clinical acumen,” said Dr Mohanty.

What causes it and how is it diagnosed?

Amyloidosis results from the accumulation of pathogenic amyloids(type of protine)—most of which are aggregates of misfolded proteins—in a variety of tissues, Dr Ingale noted. Dr Ravi Shekhar Jha, director and head, pulmonology, Fortis Hospitals, Faridabad said that it is not easy to diagnose and can lead to slow death.

Dr Jha told indianexpress.com, “Unfortunate part is, there is no proven cure for the disease. It can be a part of some other disease. Like some patients with Bronchiectasis may develop Amyloidosis and then eventually they die not due to bronchiectasis but due to Amyloidosis. The part where this abnormal protein is deposited keeps on getting damaged slowly.”

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