A large study published in the journal Circulation has shown that chronic bacterial infections, such as bronchitis, urinary tract infections, dental infections and sinusitis could play a role in the development of heart disease. The researchers believe that infections may cause inflammation of the arteries, or atherosclerosis. The study comprised 825 men and women aged 40 to 79 years old. Over a five-year period, the presence of chronic infection increased the risk of developing atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries.
Chronic infections are by no means the sole reason for the development of atherosclerosis.
But knowing that infections may play a role can help healthcare practitioners and patients reduce the risk by paying closer attention to overall health. Patients who are not quickly revived by a defibrillator will either die or suffer from serious brain damage. At an American Heart Association conference in San Antonio in March, doctors released findings of the first survey of cardiac arrest in people aged 15 to 34. In the 1990s, the rate of cardiac death for this age group rose by 10 percent for men and 32 percent for women. The researchers believe that the increase is probably caused by an increase in Obesity Smoking Drub abuse, particularly cocaine Cardiac arrest is still considered rare for people under 35, but experts see this increase as an alarming trend.