American Heart Association Addresses the Dangers of Sepsis
The American Heart Association (heart.org) wants to inform people about the dangers and warning signs of sepsis, a serious heart condition that doesn’t receive a lot of attention.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has defined sepsis as “the body’s extreme response to an infection.” While most cases are blamed on bacteria, even viruses such as the flu and the virus that causes Covid-19 can spark sepsis. Professor and Vice Chair for research in the department of emergency medicine at Ohio State University, Dr. Henry Wang, stated that all infections “can make the body overreact and can make the body very irritable and inflamed.” Those toxins end up in the bloodstream and poison the organs of the body, meaning sepsis is intertwined with the cardiovascular system and can endanger the heart. According to the CDC, 1.7 million U.S. adults develop sepsis yearly, and almost 270,000 die as a result. While doctors continue to struggle in spotting sepsis symptoms, some include high heart rate, low blood pressure, confusion, extreme pain, fever, and shortness of breath. People 65 and older, those with weakened immune systems and chronic conditions, and people with kidney problems and vascular disease are at the highest risk of developing sepsis. Dr. Wang advises dedicating a lot more attention to this dangerous disease in order to save lives and improve the quality of life for survivors.
The American Heart Association has been fighting heart disease and stroke in order to save and improve lives for nearly 100 years. For more information, visit heart.org.