In a study from the Imperial College London, scientists found gene abnormalities may make some people more susceptible to myocarditis, a rare type of heart inflammation that can affect young people and athletes.
The findings could help answer why otherwise healthy young people sometimes develop a condition that can lead to heart failure and sudden cardiac death.
Myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, frequently is triggered by a virus. The condition can progress to heart muscle disease that weakens the heart and its ability to pump blood.
Myocarditis usually resolves on its own or with treatment, but in some cases, it can cause lasting damage. It also can be fatal.
Studies have found a small but increased risk of myocarditis following COVID-19 infection and an even smaller, but still elevated, risk after COVID-19 vaccination.
In the new study, the team focused on two types of heart muscle disease linked to myocarditis. Dilated cardiomyopathy, the most common type, typically affects adults under age 50.
It occurs when the heart muscle dilates, becoming thin and enlarging the heart’s chambers, making blood pumping more difficult.
In arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, the heart muscle is replaced by scarring and fat, causing changes in heart rhythms.
Researchers analyzed DNA sequencing data for 336 people with acute myocarditis and 1,053 healthy people in the U.K. and the Netherlands, looking for genetic variants associated with the two types of cardiomyopathy.
The participants were followed for five years.
In those who had myocarditis, 8%—or 1 in 13—had genetic variants associated with the cardiomyopathies, compared with fewer than 1% of those without myocarditis.
If supported by other studies, the findings could impact care for people with myocarditis and their families.
These findings suggest there should be a low threshold for genetic testing in patients who present with myocarditis—particularly when there isn’t an obvious reason for it.
Medications such as beta-blockers might be more effective for people genetically predisposed to myocarditis, Helms said, because they may have a higher risk of future heart problems, such as heart failure.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about why avocado toast may be the key to a healthy life, and flu, COVID-19, and related vaccines may increase heart disease risk.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about plastics linked to heart disease and high cholesterol, and results showing eating whole eggs bad for your heart.
The study was conducted by Dr. Sanjay Prasad et al and published in Circulation.
Copyright © 2022 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
