Mortality rates from rare heart infections have risen among young people over the past two decades, a trend that may be driven by complications from substance use disorders, a new study suggests. There is.
The study found that mortality rates for infective endocarditis (which occurs after bacteria enter the bloodstream and colonize the heart’s lining, heart valves, and heart blood vessels) declined among most adults nationwide, but by 25%. ~44 patients showed increased mortality. The research results have been published. Published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
“Our findings raise public health concerns, especially as deaths are increasing, especially in younger age groups,” Dr. Sudarshan Bala, lead author of the study, said in a news release. Mr. Rose is an associate professor of medicine at the West Virginia University Heart and Vascular Institute at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown. “We speculate that this acceleration is primarily due to the opioid crisis that has engulfed several states and primarily engulfed young people.”
People who have had heart valve surgery in the past, have a valve abnormality, an artificial valve, a congenital heart defect, or a history of heart infections are at increased risk of infective endocarditis. However, it can also be caused by complications from injecting illegal drugs.
The overall mortality rate associated with infective endocarditis fell from 26 per million in 1999 to 22 per million in 2020, after adjusting for age, the analysis showed. Ta.
However, the analysis also showed that mortality rates increased by more than 5% per year on average for adults aged 25 to 34, and by more than 2% for adults aged 35 to 44. The number of people aged 55 and over decreased significantly.
Among adults aged 25 to 44, substance use disorders were associated with an increase in multiple causes of death. The increase in deaths from infective endocarditis was particularly pronounced in Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia compared with other states where mortality rates were declining or stagnant.
“We found that drug use is a contributing factor that may explain the higher mortality rates from endocarditis in younger populations and in different states,” Barra said. “Comprehensive care plans for patients treated for infective endocarditis should also include screening and treatment for substance use disorders.”
Researchers concluded that there is a link between substance use disorders and increased deaths from infective endocarditis in young adults because of limited medical details available and possible errors on death certificates. He said that a direct cause-and-effect relationship could not be determined.
Some states have launched public health programs to reduce the risk of infectious, bacterial, and fungal infections caused by intravenous drug use.
But “it remains to be seen whether these programs will have an impact,” Barra said.
