Q: I've heard about amyloid affecting parts of the body outside of the brain. Is that the same disease as CAA?

A: No.

Confusion arises because the term amyloid describes several different proteins which are not necessarily related to each other. The amyloid that causes CAA does not affect organs outside of the brain and spinal cord, while the amyloid deposits that damage the kidneys, heart, or other organs in the body very rarely have any impact on the brain.