A troubling trend in Americans’ heart health is emerging, and doctors are aiming to bring more awareness to the problem.
While death rates from infective endocarditis have generally declined across the U.S. over the past two decades, they have alarmingly increased among young adults aged 25 to 44. This research, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, underscores a public health issue that intersects with the ongoing opioid crisis.
Infective endocarditis, often referred to as bacterial endocarditis, is a rare but serious condition where bacteria enter the bloodstream and infect the heart lining, valves, or blood vessels.
It poses a higher risk to individuals with heart valve abnormalities, previous valve surgeries, artificial valves, congenital heart defects, or a history of the disease. If left untreated, it can lead to severe complications, including heart failure and life-threatening infections. Alarmingly, it can also be a complication arising from the injection of illicit drugs.
The study was conducted Dr. Sudarshan Balla, an associate professor of medicine at the West Virginia University Heart and Vascular Institute. He points out the concerning rise in death rates among young adults, speculating a strong link to the opioid crisis affecting several states.
“Our study findings raise a public health concern, especially since the deaths in younger age groups are on the rise,” he says in a statement.
“We speculate that this acceleration was likely, in the most part, due to the opioid crisis that has engulfed several states and involved principally younger adults.”
Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia exhibited a particularly pronounced increase in death rates due to infective endocarditis. These states, heavily impacted by the opioid epidemic, have seen an increase in injection drug use–related infective endocarditis cases.
The findings of this study are a wake-up call, emphasizing the need for targeted public health interventions, especially in states heavily affected by the opioid crisis. Dr. Balla stresses the need for comprehensive care plans that include screening and treatment for substance use disorder for those treated for infective endocarditis.
He also highlights the ongoing efforts in some states to implement harm reduction programs aimed at mitigating the risks associated with intravenous drug use, such as the spread of infectious diseases.
The researchers acknowledge certain limitations due to the reliance on death certificate data, which can sometimes contain inaccuracies.
They emphasize the need for further investigation to fully understand the reasons behind these trends among young adults and in specific states.
