Despite a general decline in fatal heart infections across the United States, a new report finds one exception: young people.
In this group, the incidence of infective endocarditis is on the rise, most likely driven by the common cause of injecting drug use.
Mortality rates are higher in younger populations, as well as in states that die from endocarditis, with drug use cited as one of the reasons for this phenomenon," said Dr. Sudarshan Barra, lead author of the study and associate professor of internal medicine at the Cardiovascular Institute at West Virginia University. The study was located in Morgantown, West Virginia.
His research team published the findings Dec. 13 in the journal of the American Heart Association.
According to the AHA, infective endocarditis occurs when bacteria invade the lining of the heart, heart valves, or nearby blood vessels. Infective endocarditis is usually rare and occurs mainly in people with congenital heart problems and prosthetic heart valves.
However, injecting drug abuse can also increase a person's chances of contracting heart disease epitomalitis.
The new study used data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to track mortality from infective endocarditis from 1999 to 2020.
During this time, there was a general decline in the number of deaths caused by this state of affairs in the American population. Overall, the number of such deaths decreased from 26 per million in 1999 to 22 per million in 2020.
Among all age groups, the largest decline in infective endocarditis-related deaths was among those aged 55 years and older.
However, Barra's team added that the mortality rate among people between the ages of 25 and 44 has risen significantly. For example, Americans aged 25 to 34 have a 2 percent increase in annual mortality, compared with 5 percent for those aged 35 to 44.
Researchers note that not only does infective endocarditis pose a health threat to people struggling with substance abuse, but there is a two- to seven-fold upward trend between substance abuse and multiple common causes of death among people aged 25 to 44.
In a press release from the AHA, Bella said that we speculate that the acceleration is likely to be largely due to the opioid crisis involving several states, primarily involving young adults. ”
In fact, West Virginia is one of the states most affected by the spike in drug-related infectious heart disease. According to the study, Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia had the highest fatality increases for the condition.
Researchers have called the surge in deaths "worrying."
To save lives, Barra argues that "a comprehensive care plan for people with infective endocarditis should also include screening and substance use disorders." ”
Those who abuse drugs use dirty needles to introduce bacteria into the bloodstream. Once it enters the bloodstream, it may enter the heart.
In addition to increasing the risk of infective endocarditis, injectable drug abuse also increases the risk of other infectious diseases, such as HIV, viral hepatitis, bacterial and fungal infections.
Some states are introducing "harm reduction" programs, such as the Clean Syringe Exchange Program, to address the issue, researchers said.
Whether these shows will have an impact is yet to be determined," Barra said.
*: American Heart Association press release, December 13, 2023. The translated text reads: **American Heart Association press release comes from a statement released on December 13, 2023. Overall, this is a study based on the American Heart Association's practice guidelines, and this study is very valuable for understanding the effects of using certain types of antihypertensive drugs in patients with coronary artery disease. Overall, this is a study based on the American Heart Association's practice guidelines, which is important for understanding the impact of the use of certain types of antihypertensive drugs in patients with coronary artery disease. Therefore, the American Heart Association calls on doctors and patients to be fully aware of and follow the recommendations given in the guidelines to ensure cardiovascular health. Therefore, the American Heart Association calls on doctors and patients to be fully aware of and follow the recommendations given in the guidelines to ensure cardiovascular health. This study highlights the importance of blood pressure control for people with coronary artery disease and reminds us of the precautions when using antihypertensive drugs. This study highlights the importance of blood pressure control for people with coronary artery disease, and also reminds everyone of what to look out for when using antihypertensive drugs.
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