heart and blood vessel disorders
Infective Endocarditis
Risk Factors of Infective Endocarditis
Thehighest risk of endocarditisis in people who Inject illicit drugs Have a weakened immune system Have a prosthetic (artificial) heart valve, Artificial Pacemakers or People who inject illicit drugs are at high risk of endocarditis because they are likely to inject bacteria directly into their bloodstream through dirty needles, syringes, or drug solutions. People who have a replacement heart valve are also at high risk. For them, the risk of infective endocarditis is greatest during the first year after heart valve surgery. After the first year, the risk decreases but remains slightly higher than normal. Other risk factorsfor infective endocarditis are Overview of Heart Defects (including defects of the heart valves), or major blood vessels, particularly a defect that allows blood to leak from one part of the heart to another Heart valve damage due to Rheumatic Fever None Degeneration of the heart valves that occurs with aging Birth defects are risk factors for children and young adults. Damage to the heart by Rheumatic Fever during childhood (rheumatic heart disease) is also a risk factor. Rheumatic fever has become a less common risk factor in countries where antibiotics have become widely available. In such countries, rheumatic fever is a risk factor for people who did not have the benefit of antibiotics during their childhood (such as immigrants). One risk factor for older people is degeneration of the heart valves such as a floppy Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP) (which opens from the left atrium into the left ventricle) or calcium deposits on the 