Baseball Hall of Famer shares warning signs after genetic condition leads to heart transplant

NORTH TEXAS — During what would become a Hall of Fame career, pitcher Lee Arthur Smith was known as "The Closer."  But, the major league player had no idea a rare genetic heart disease, cardiac amyloidosis, was closing in on him.

"Shortness of breath," said Smith, "really, was the first thing."

Suddenly, the lifelong athlete, and part-time farmer, was getting winded just tying his shoes.

"I just thought it wouldn't happen to me," said Smith.

He said his wife, Dyana Penigar suspected that other health issues were connected and refused to be silenced by doctors looking to dismiss her concerns.

"I can see things happening, and it's not just from age," said  Penigar. "So I started reading up on a lot of things. I would also talk to one of his ex-teammates with the Cubs, Andre Dawson. His uncle passed from the same thing, and I was calling him on a regular basis and he said, 'You be persistent'."

Eventually, the couple found Baylor Scott & White in Dallas and Dr. Amarinder Bindra. He said that persistence likely saved Lee's life.

"Statistics show a patient with cardiac amyloidosis is seen by at least 5 to 6 providers before they come to see me in advanced heart failure," said Bindra, a heart failure and transplant cardiologist.

Cardiac amyloidosis is a genetic condition that leads to abnormal protein deposits in the body.  It is rare but more common in those of African and Caribbean descent. The disease often presents, initially, in ways that are unrelated and therefore difficult to diagnose.

"Having carpal tunnel in the non-dominant hand or bilateral hand, patients having to undergo knee surgeries, back surgeries in the 40s and 50s," Bindra said. "We never really think that that could be cardiac amyloidosis."

According to Bindra, other early warning signs include strokes, erectile dysfunction in the 40s and 50s, joint pain and even severe constipation are all clues. Bindra says don't dismiss concerns as "just getting older."

"As a cardiologist, I can tell you, if you are in your 50s and 60s, and you're short of breath and you are experiencing fatigue, that is probably not from just being in your 50s and 60s," said Bindra.

Lee was fortunate. He underwent successful heart transplant surgery at Baylor just last month and says he is already feeling like a new man.

Lee said he's grateful to his Baylor care team and to his at-home caretaker, his wife. As for those hearing his story, he says he wants to encourage them to listen to their bodies and don't skip preventative care.

"And I tell you, I started looking at the pictures of myself six months ago when I saw Dr. Bindra and I don't look like the same person," said Lee. "I think the one thing is checkups, the guys don't get the checkups. Even back to the dental things like that. You got to start."