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[Association between herpetic burden and chronic ischemic heart disease: matched case-control study]
Jesús Esteban-Hernández1, Jesús San Román Montero, Ruth Gil
1Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Salud Pública e Inmunología y Microbiología médicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Madrid, España. jesus.esteban@urjc.es
Medicina Clinica
|January 4, 2011
Summary
A high herpetic burden, indicated by multiple herpesvirus infections, is linked to ischemic heart disease in a Spanish population. This association persists after accounting for common cardiovascular risk factors, except hypercholesterolemia.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Previous research suggests a connection between herpesvirus infections and ischemic heart disease (IHD).
- A seroepidemiological study was conducted in Spain to investigate this potential association.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis linking herpetic burden to ischemic heart disease in a Spanish population.
- To determine if this association is influenced by traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study matched for sex and age (1:1) was performed.
- Herpetic burden was quantified by the number of IgG antibodies against Epstein Barr Virus, cytomegalovirus, varicella zoster virus, and Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2.
- Patients with chronic IHD were compared to healthy controls.
Main Results:
- A high herpetic burden (seropositivity to 4+ herpesviruses) was significantly more prevalent in IHD cases (90.7%) than in controls (70.7%).
- Within the control group, hypercholesterolemic individuals showed a higher prevalence of high herpetic burden (88.5% vs. 61.2%).
- High herpetic burden was independently associated with IHD (OR: 4.5 [1.23-16.53]) after adjusting for diabetes, smoking, and hypertension, but this association was not significant when hypercholesterolemia was included in the model (OR 2.2 [0.45-10.62]).
Conclusions:
- The association between herpetic burden and ischemic heart disease is robust and independent of most classical cardiovascular risk factors.
- Hypercholesterolemia may confound or mediate the relationship between herpetic burden and ischemic heart disease.
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