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Chronic Infections and Heart Disease If you have an infection that keeps popping up, you may be at an increased risk for atherosclerosis, a condition that causes most heart attacks and strokes.
Researchers found people had a higher risk of atherosclerosis when their CRP levels were higher. CRP levels were about three times higher in those with chronic infection than in their healthier counterparts. Forty-one percent of all participants developed new plaques in their carotid arteries over the study period, but those with chronic infection were nearly three times more likely to develop new plaques than those without infection. Researchers also found a more prevalent risk of atheroscelrosis when participants had bacterial infections such as respiratory and urinary tract infections than with viral infections such as shingles and hepatitis B or C.
The study was part the Bruneck Study, which is working to identify factors that contribute to the development of atherosclerois. Factors such as smoking status, diabetes, alcohol consumption and high blood pressure are also being evaluated. The results of the study are published in this week's issue of Circulation. |
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Researchers from Austria and Italy studied more than 800 men and women between the ages of 40 and 79. They evaluated changes in the carotid arteries, which are the main vessels that carry blood to the brain. Researchers measured levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) in each of the participants over a five-year period. Of the 826 people in the study, 268 were found to have chronic infections such as sinusitis, bronchitis and urinary tract infections. 
Stefan
Kiechl, M.D., from the Innsbruck University
Clinic in Austria, says, "Ours is the first study to assess a strong relationship between various types of common chronic infections and atherosclerosis." He adds, "Our study provides further strong evidence that chronic infection increases the overall risk of blood vessel disease." 
