(3/10/99)
Patients with coronary artery disease may be at a
higher risk of death within 5 years if they have a
specific virus in their bloodstream. Utah cardiac
researchers presented the evidence today in New
Orleans. Science Specialist Ed Yeates explains.
This virus could be a marker for death only if it's a
respiratory herpes virus known as cytomeglavirus.
Quincy Stephens has had two heart attacks and two
bypass surgeries. The first happened six years ago in
Chicago - the second only weeks ago here in Salt
Lake.
And yet this 54-year-old patient doesn't fit the
traditional formula for coronary artery disease. His
first heart attack gave no warning.
"It just happens. It happened while I was asleep, so I didn't do anything to bring it on," he says.
Is it possible viruses and bacteria were Quincy's
villains? Could cytomeglavirus actually have been a
marker for how fast his disease was progressing? A
three-year-study of 1,000 patients at LDS
Hospital shows four to five patients out of every 100
were dead after only three years - if they had the
viral marker.
Dr. Joseph Muhlestein, of the LDS Hospital cardiology research says, "It was more than 15 percent, so almost a three-fold increase in the incidence of mortality based on whether or not they had been exposed and had this marker for cydomeglavirus."
Dr. Muhlestein says so far the virus appears to
be as accurate, or more accurate, than any genetic
marker.
In fact, bacteria called chlamydia may enter
first actually contributing to the development of the
disease.
"And then once you have the heart disease, maybe another infectious agency like cydomeglavirus will kick in and make it a more progressive course, and kind of destabilize it and increase your chance of dying thereafter."
If evidence holds up, a blood test might identify these
patients. An antibiotic would get rid of chlamydia. And
these new anti-viral drugs would take care of
cytomeglavirus.
Dr. Muhlestein says in the future, it
might be possible to develop a vaccine against
cytomeglavirus. It could be given to youngsters as part
of a preventive program for heart disease.
