A Case of Mistaken Identity
Emerging research has correlated on a clinical level that in some cases, a common cold or flu-like symptoms have preceded a heart attack. Though there is not yet any concrete evidence, studies suggest that there may be a connection between long-term infections like the flu or common cold that can cause atherosclerosis, a well-known trigger of a heart attack.
According to epidemiology, it is a known fact that there is higher occurrence of heart attacks in the winter versus the spring, summer or autumn, and can possibly be related to the increase of the common cold and influenza infections during that time of year.
One clue that points in that direction involves a small bacteria; known as Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae). As the name implies C. pneumoniae causes respiratory tract infections and does so quite frequently, roughly half of middle-aged adults have C. pneumoniae. The initial infection shows mild or no symptoms at all, in fact most people aren`t even aware that they have it.
Researchers are suspecting that the role C. pneumoniae plays in atherosclerosis is a result of the bacteria`s ability to create a chronic, long-lasting, hidden, infection that brews beneath the surface of the body. What makes C. pneumoniae harder to detect is the fact that while most infections trigger an antibody that appears in your blood, the antibodies associated with C. pneumonia may prove to be ineffective. The best way to detect C. pneumoniae requires the use of a specialized blood culture to test your IgM short for Immunoglobulin M which will give doctors a clearer picture of how your immune system is functioning.
Again we come back to the point that it is of the utmost importance that you have full blood work done on at least a yearly basis. Without having a yearly blood culture, who knows what could be brewing inside your body?
