Researchers warn that opioid epidemic is fueling lethal cases of infective endocarditis in younger adults.
DALLAS — 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.
Infective Endocarditis Death Rates By Age
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.”
The study utilized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Multiple Cause of Death dataset to analyze national trends and disparities across different demographics from 1999 to 2020. Despite the decline in infective endocarditis death rates overall in the U.S., the data shows a 5% average annual increase in death rates among young adults aged 25-34, and more than 2% for the 35-44 age group.
Stagnant rates were seen in the 45-54 age group, while a decline was seen in adults over 55.
Additionally, the study analyzed state-level trends in death rates, providing insights into regional variations. This approach allowed the researchers to uncover the disproportionate impact of infective endocarditis in certain states and among specific age groups, linking these trends to broader public health issues like the opioid crisis.
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 Opioid Crisis Connection
Study results indicate a potential connection between the increase in infective endocarditis deaths among young adults and the opioid epidemic. Substance use disorder, often associated with opioid abuse, emerged as a significant factor in the study, particularly in the states most affected.
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.
How To Prevent Infective Endocarditis
Preventing infective endocarditis involves good hygiene, managing existing conditions, and following specific precautions for at-risk procedures. Here are some key tips:
Oral hygiene:
- Maintain excellent oral health: Brush twice daily, floss regularly, and schedule dental checkups every six months. This reduces bacteria in your mouth, minimizing the risk of it entering your bloodstream through gum disease or tooth abscesses.
- Treat dental infections promptly: Address gingivitis, cavities, and other dental issues quickly to prevent bacteria from entering your bloodstream.
General hygiene:
- Practice good handwashing: Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, especially before and after medical procedures, caring for wounds, or touching your face. This helps prevent bacteria from spreading.
- Take care of your skin: Treat cuts, scrapes, and wounds promptly to prevent infection. If you have a chronic skin condition, manage it effectively to lower the risk of bacteria entering your bloodstream.
Managing existing conditions:
- Control heart valve problems: If you have existing heart valve issues, regular monitoring and timely treatment are crucial. Address leaky valves or valve replacements as needed to minimize the risk of bacteria attaching to them.
- Treat ongoing infections: Manage any current infections diligently with antibiotics and follow your doctor’s advice to control the spread of bacteria.
Precautions for at-risk procedures:
- Follow antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines: If you have certain heart conditions, your doctor may recommend taking antibiotics before specific procedures like dental work, urinary tract surgery, or certain respiratory procedures. This helps prevent bacteria from entering your bloodstream during the procedure.
- Talk to your doctor before having piercings or tattoos: If you have a heart condition, discuss piercings or tattoos with your doctor beforehand, as these procedures can introduce bacteria into your bloodstream.
And of course, maintaining good general health goes a long way. Eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep all contribute to a strong immune system, which can help fight off infections. Be cautious about activities that increase your risk of skin or mucous membrane tears, such as sharing needles or using certain types of body-piercing jewelry. As this study shows, substance use certainly can play a key role in the condition.
Remember, while these tips can help prevent infective endocarditis, they are not guaranteed to eliminate the risk entirely. If you experience any symptoms of infective endocarditis, such as fever, chills, fatigue, new heart murmur, or unexplained skin changes, seek immediate medical attention.
It’s important to note that these are general tips, and the specific recommendations for preventing infective endocarditis may vary depending on your individual risk factors and medical history. Always consult your doctor for personalized advice on how to best protect yourself from this serious condition.
We’re just supposed to take their word for it? Absolutely no evidence given or links between “the opioid crisis” and the condition. Just a, “trust us, we did a study”?
Freaking ridiculous. Nothing to see here folks, move along.
I’m shocked, shocked to find out that the conspiracy idiots didn’t read the article before commenting on a dataset from 1999-2020.
Everybody knows now, especially when you actually know people who are dead already and the others that are sick or you yourself took it from pressure or persuasion. We all know where the problem comes from now and it will only get more glaringly obvious as time moves forward. I believe 24 is the year that not one person will be able to deny it.
Bingo
Sudden early death rates are up all over. In the US they’re up over 10% and in the UK they’re up over 20%. The young fit athletes dying all over is not going unnoticed. The insurance companies are going to raise life insurance rates massively next year. Drug abuse fueled by the availability of illegal heroin and fentynol may be a small part of the heart issues especially if they also receive the Covid Vaccine.
So now they are blaming the uptick in young people dying from heart conditions on Fentanyl, instead of you know what….Smooth…real smooth.
It’s not just the COVID jab. It’s all vaccines. Why anyone would in their right mind would let get, or let their children get, ANY vaccine is beyond me. The propaganda of past diseases having harmed or killed millions in the past is the most successful propaganda campaign in the history of the world.
Excess death rates are up 5-20% worldwide since the rollout of the vaxx. A large portion of those deaths are heart issues, clots, strokes, sudden stage 4 cancers, and in higher rates of young people. This doesn’t even count the increase is auto immune diseases, Bella palsy, and other immune issues related to people’s immune systems being wrecked since the shots.
It’s been shown that the spike protein created when u get Covid stops being produced by your body quickly(unless u have long Covid)…however, after the shots and boosters, your body continues to make the spike protein, and it’s infiltrating the entire body, and for some, the body does not stop making it. A recipe for disaster. There were numerous virologists and doctors not on big pharma’s payroll that warned all of this was going to happen, and the next 5 years we would see increases in all of these things. Well, here we are. And I thank God my gut instinct as well as some others in my immediate family all too a hard pass on a vaxx that nobody could say was safe long term.
It’s not the opiods. It’s the covid vaccine.
No one with any common sense believes that the increased deaths from supposed endocarditis (probably really misdiagnosed peri/myocarditis, but I digress)is due to mass opioid use.
The correlation between the mass administration of experimental mRNA shots and the rise of heart incidents in the young, which has been tacitly admitted to by some Pharma companies, isn’t going away.
These attempts to obscure and/or whitewash the reality by the medical establishment is yet another crime against humanity perpetrated by their “profession”.
Glad to see comments reflecting an accurate awareness of the facts behind this tragic trend, that the official “excuse” is a flat out falsehood. The perpetrators of this attempted genocide – by an immune system destroying toxin brazenly and falsely called a “vaccine” – will never admit the truth. Nor will their equally corrupt conspirators in the media.
Culling the herd. It’s all about “decreasing the surplus population” and cutting down on the “useless eaters”. Don’t think for a minute that that’s not how they see you.
Where do researchers get their grants? From government and NGOs.
What government wants heart problems associated with the mRNA genetic treatments fully known though it is widely acknowledged that some youth have developed myocarditis from it? And the deflection of cause to opiods is a slick move, muddying the water, which satisfies Pfiser, Moderna, and Government by building a defense for later challenges.
Researchers get more grants and status with government friendly publishing.
Until every case includes the covid vaccination status of anyone who dies of anything, all these ‘scientific’ studies are nothing but propaganda.
They can’t deny all the above average deaths and disabilities that the covid vaccines are causing now so they are making up other excuses for these so called unexplained deaths, and the sharp rise in “all cause mortality” especially among the younger age group of 25-34. In the UK they are blaming it on a “new” variant of covid called JN.1. ‘Experts’ Say New COVID Strain Will Cause Global “Heart Failure Pandemic” is an article published by GB News two days ago. If this link doesn’t work here, just go to Zerohedge.com and look for article titled above. https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/experts-say-new-covid-strain-will-cause-global-heart-failure-pandemic and the link https://www.gbnews.com/news/covid-scientists-warning-new-variant-global-heart-failure-pandemic
ITS THE SHOT STUPID- we have done a great disservice to the our younger men and women.
Covid Mrna genetic injections and boosters have no correlation with this sudden increase in heart pathologies in normally healthy young adult populations. It’s all just a coincidence? Unless of course people who get vaccinated and boosted for Covid also have an affinity for other illegal drugs? Perhaps we should run a study using unvaccinated and non drug abusing youth for a baseline and compare their morbidity against the timeline of vaccinations and boosters for those who took the shots? Nobody appears to want to do that study. I wonder why?
As expected from a genocidal bioweapon.
The government mandated VAX is what is killing people, if you’re vaxed, don’t get another shot. If you’re not vaccinated, never get vaccinated, the unvaccinated may be the only ones alive in ten years.
safe, lie. effective, lie. you won’t catch C-19, lie. can’t spread C-19, lie. Get the yearly boosters to protect Grandma Grandpa, lie. Myocarditis skyrocketing , yes. Incredible increase cancers, yes. strokes and blood clots yes
My brother dropped dead at 64 while standing in the bathroom. 5 months prior he had gotten his 2nd Moderna shot. He was healthy.
Fake study guaranteed funded by the pharma industry to obfuscate the issue. Truth will out.