tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
In the most recent issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal, Marshfield Clinic cardiologist Dr. Shereif Rezkalla and a colleague at the University of Southern California report on a little-known complication of the flu -- heart problems.
Rezkalla and Dr. Robert Kloner spent the last year compiling data from hundreds of studies on heart complications that can result from influenza, particularly acute viral myocarditis, or infection of the heart by a virus. Their study is called "Influenza-related Viral Myocarditis."
One of the study's major findings, Rezkalla said, was that at least 10 percent of influenza patients have cardiac involvement.
"In reality, the virus affects many organs in the body," Rezkalla said. "One of those organs may be the heart."
The pair compared international findings in studies of unexpected death from influenza complications. In many of the cases in which myocarditis was the cause of death, the physician did not suspect heart complications because they were masked by respiratory distress.
Rezkalla said some heart complications will resolve on their own, but others could lead to long-term
problems and, rarely, death.
The best way to prevent viral myocarditis, he said, is to be on the lookout for signs of more than a brief infection.
Patients should watch for lingering symptoms -- a flu shouldn't last more than a day or two -- and significant breathing problems, especially with activity.
Doctors also should be aware of heart complications, which can easily be diagnosed with an electrocardiogram and treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.
"If there is involvement of the heart, there is a treatment, and the treatment should be started as soon as possible to have the best effect," Rezkalla said.
While there is no way to prevent potential heart complications, patients should try to prevent the flu in general through avoidance, vaccination and frequent hand-washing, he said.
http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.c...99/1982/WRT04/Study--Flu-can-be-hard-on-heart
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/16b2e8e8#/16b2e8e8/28
Rezkalla and Dr. Robert Kloner spent the last year compiling data from hundreds of studies on heart complications that can result from influenza, particularly acute viral myocarditis, or infection of the heart by a virus. Their study is called "Influenza-related Viral Myocarditis."
One of the study's major findings, Rezkalla said, was that at least 10 percent of influenza patients have cardiac involvement.
"In reality, the virus affects many organs in the body," Rezkalla said. "One of those organs may be the heart."
The pair compared international findings in studies of unexpected death from influenza complications. In many of the cases in which myocarditis was the cause of death, the physician did not suspect heart complications because they were masked by respiratory distress.
Rezkalla said some heart complications will resolve on their own, but others could lead to long-term
problems and, rarely, death.
The best way to prevent viral myocarditis, he said, is to be on the lookout for signs of more than a brief infection.
Patients should watch for lingering symptoms -- a flu shouldn't last more than a day or two -- and significant breathing problems, especially with activity.
Doctors also should be aware of heart complications, which can easily be diagnosed with an electrocardiogram and treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.
"If there is involvement of the heart, there is a treatment, and the treatment should be started as soon as possible to have the best effect," Rezkalla said.
While there is no way to prevent potential heart complications, patients should try to prevent the flu in general through avoidance, vaccination and frequent hand-washing, he said.
http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.c...99/1982/WRT04/Study--Flu-can-be-hard-on-heart
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/16b2e8e8#/16b2e8e8/28