 |
 |
|
Home |
Current Issue |
Past Issues |
In the Clinic |
ACP Journal Club |
CME |
Collections |
Audio/Video |
Mobile |
Subscribe |
Tools |
Help |
ACP Online
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Summaries for Patients are a service provided by Annals to help patients better understand the complicated and often mystifying language of modern medicine.
SUMMARIES FOR PATIENTS
Chronic Infection and the Risk for Heart Disease
19 October 1999 | Volume 131 Issue 8 | Page 573
Summaries for Patients are presented for informational purposes only. These summaries are not a substitute for advice from your own medical provider. If you have questions about this material, or need medical advice about your own health or situation, please contact your physician. The summaries may be reproduced for not-for-profit educational purposes only. Any other uses must be approved by the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine.
The summary below is from the full report titled "Baseline IgG Antibody Titers to Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, Herpes Simplex Virus, and Cytomegalovirus and the Risk for Cardiovascular Disease in Women." It is in the 19 October 1999 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine (volume 131, pages 573-577). The authors are P.M. Ridker, C.H. Hennekens, J.E. Buring, R. Kundsin, and J. Shih.
What is the problem and what is known about it so far?
Some studies suggest that people with chronic infection are more likely to have common types of cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease and strokes) than people without chronic infection. However, these studies have not been able to sort out whether chronic infection occurred before or after the disease developed. Some of the bacteria and viruses ("germs") that researchers have found in people with coronary disease include Chlamydia pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, herpes simplex virus, and cytomegalovirus.
Why did the researchers do this particular study?
The researchers wanted to find out if people who were exposed to any of these bacteria or viruses in the past were more likely than people without this exposure to get cardiovascular disease in the future.
Who was studied?
The researchers studied women who were in the Women's Health Study. This study collected a lot of health information from healthy women, through surveys and reviews of medical records, over a number of years. All of the women in this study were health professionals. This study focused on 122 women who developed heart attacks or strokes during the years of the study and 244 women who did not develop these problems.
How was the study done?
All of the women gave blood samples at the beginning of the study. The researchers tested these samples to look for antibodies to four kinds of bacteria and viruses. Antibodies are substances that develop in the blood to help fight infection. If a person has antibodies to a certain bacteria or virus in their blood, this means they had an infection with that germ some time in the past. The researchers compared whether the women who had heart attacks or strokes were more likely than those that did not to have antibodies suggesting past infections.
What did the researchers find?
Women with blood tests that suggested they had not had past infections were just as likely to develop heart disease or strokes as women whose blood tests suggested they did have previous infections.
What were the limitations of the study?
The study could not rule out very small increases in heart attacks or strokes. Also, the researchers looked at only four types of bacteria or viruses.
What are the implications of the study?
Treating infections is not likely to be a good way to prevent heart attacks and strokes. Of course, there may be other reasons to treat these infections.
Related articles in Annals:
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  A Steptoe, A Shamaei-Tousi, A Gylfe, B Henderson, S Bergstrom, and M Marmot Socioeconomic status, pathogen burden and cardiovascular disease risk Heart, December 1, 2007; 93(12): 1567 - 1570. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. L. Herne, R. Talpur, J. Breuer-McHam, R. Champlin, and M. Duvic Cytomegalovirus seropositivity is significantly associated with mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome Blood, March 15, 2003; 101(6): 2132 - 2135. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. Liuba, J. Persson, J. Luoma, S. Yla-Herttuala, and E. Pesonen Acute infections in children are accompanied by oxidative modification of LDL and decrease of HDL cholesterol, and are followed by thickening of carotid intima-media Eur. Heart J., March 2, 2003; 24(6): 515 - 521. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. J. Angiolillo, G. Liuzzo, S. Pelliccioni, E. De Candia, R. Landolfi, F. Crea, A. Maseri, and L. M. Biasucci Combined role of the Lewis antigenic system, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and C-reactive protein in unstable angina J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., February 19, 2003; 41(4): 546 - 550. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Smieja, J. Gnarpe, E. Lonn, H. Gnarpe, G. Olsson, Q. Yi, V. Dzavik, M. McQueen, S. Yusuf, and for the Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE Multiple Infections and Subsequent Cardiovascular Events in the Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) Study Circulation, January 21, 2003; 107(2): 251 - 257. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Prasad, J. Zhu, J. P.J. Halcox, M. A. Waclawiw, S. E. Epstein, and A. A. Quyyumi Predisposition to Atherosclerosis by Infections: Role of Endothelial Dysfunction Circulation, July 9, 2002; 106(2): 184 - 190. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. Huittinen, M. Leinonen, L. Tenkanen, M. Manttari, H. Virkkunen, T. Pitkanen, E. Wahlstrom, T. Palosuo, V. Manninen, and P. Saikku Autoimmunity to Human Heat Shock Protein 60, Chlamydia pneumoniae Infection, and Inflammation in Predicting Coronary Risk Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol., March 1, 2002; 22(3): 431 - 437. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. Tavendale, D. Parratt, S.D. Pringle, R. A'brook, and H. Tunstall-Pedoe Serological markers of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in men and women and subsequent coronary events. The Scottish Heart Health Study Cohort Eur. Heart J., February 2, 2002; 23(4): 301 - 307. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Boman and M. R. Hammerschlag Chlamydia pneumoniae and Atherosclerosis: Critical Assessment of Diagnostic Methods and Relevance to Treatment Studies Clin. Microbiol. Rev., January 1, 2002; 15(1): 1 - 20. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. M. Ridker On Evolutionary Biology, Inflammation, Infection, and the Causes of Atherosclerosis Circulation, January 1, 2002; 105(1): 2 - 4. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Espinola-Klein, H. J. Rupprecht, S. Blankenberg, C. Bickel, H. Kopp, G. Rippin, A. Victor, G. Hafner, W. Schlumberger, and J. Meyer Impact of Infectious Burden on Extent and Long-Term Prognosis of Atherosclerosis Circulation, January 1, 2002; 105(1): 15 - 21. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. C. Johnston, L. M. Messina, W. S. Browner, M. T. Lawton, C. Morris, and D. Dean C-Reactive Protein Levels and Viable Chlamydia pneumoniae in Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis Stroke, December 1, 2001; 32(12): 2748 - 2752. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G. J. Blake and P. M. Ridker Novel Clinical Markers of Vascular Wall Inflammation Circ. Res., October 26, 2001; 89(9): 763 - 771. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. U. Heuschmann, D. Neureiter, M. Gesslein, B. Craiovan, M. Maass, G. Faller, G. Beck, B. Neundoerfer, and P. L. Kolominsky-Rabas Association Between Infection With Helicobacter pylori and Chlamydia pneumoniae and Risk of Ischemic Stroke Subtypes: Results From a Population-Based Case-Control Study Stroke, October 1, 2001; 32(10): 2253 - 2258. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. J. Rupprecht, S. Blankenberg, C. Bickel, G. Rippin, G. Hafner, W. Prellwitz, W. Schlumberger, and J. Meyer Impact of Viral and Bacterial Infectious Burden on Long-Term Prognosis in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease Circulation, July 3, 2001; 104(1): 25 - 31. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Schumacher, A. B. Lerkerød, I. Seljeflot, L. Sommervoll, I. Holme, J. E. Otterstad, and H. Arnesen Chlamydia pneumoniae Serology: Importance of Methodology in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease and Healthy Individuals J. Clin. Microbiol., May 1, 2001; 39(5): 1859 - 1864. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Smieja, S. Chong, M. Natarajan, A. Petrich, L. Rainen, and J. B. Mahony Circulating Nucleic Acids of Chlamydia pneumoniae and Cytomegalovirus in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography J. Clin. Microbiol., February 1, 2001; 39(2): 596 - 600. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. K. Shah Link Between Infection and Atherosclerosis: Who Are The Culprits: Viruses, Bacteria, Both, or Neither? Circulation, January 2, 2001; 103(1): 5 - 6. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Zhu, F. J. Nieto, B. D. Horne, J. L. Anderson, J. B. Muhlestein, and S. E. Epstein Prospective Study of Pathogen Burden and Risk of Myocardial Infarction or Death Circulation, January 2, 2001; 103(1): 45 - 51. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. S. Siscovick, S. M. Schwartz, L. Corey, J. T. Grayston, R. Ashley, S.-P. Wang, B. M. Psaty, R. P. Tracy, L. H. Kuller, and R. A. Kronmal Chlamydia pneumoniae, Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1, and Cytomegalovirus and Incident Myocardial Infarction and Coronary Heart Disease Death in Older Adults : The Cardiovascular Health Study Circulation, November 7, 2000; 102(19): 2335 - 2340. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Danesh, P. Whincup, M. Walker, L. Lennon, A. Thomson, P. Appleby, Y.-k. Wong, M. Bernardes-Silva, M. Ward, and R. West Chlamydia pneumoniae IgG titres and coronary heart disease: prospective study and meta-analysis Commentary: Adjustment for potential confounders may have been taken too far BMJ, July 22, 2000; 321(7255): 208 - 213. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. S. V. Elkind, I-F. Lin, J. T. Grayston, and R. L. Sacco Chlamydia pneumoniae and the Risk of First Ischemic Stroke : The Northern Manhattan Stroke Study Stroke, July 1, 2000; 31(7): 1521 - 1525. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. M. Ridker, C. H. Hennekens, J. E. Buring, and N. Rifai C-Reactive Protein and Other Markers of Inflammation in the Prediction of Cardiovascular Disease in Women N. Engl. J. Med., March 23, 2000; 342(12): 836 - 843. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Infections and Cardiovascular Disease in Women Journal Watch Infectious Diseases, January 1, 2000; 2000(101): 13 - 13. [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Is Heart Disease Infectious or Not? Journal Watch (General), October 29, 1999; 1999(1029): 2 - 2. [Full Text]
|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Article
