Endocarditis

Endocarditis risk factors

Many factors can increase your risk for endocarditis. Some of these factors, such as having certain heart conditions or a weakened immune system, are outside of your control. However, other factors, such as poor oral or skin health, are within your control.

Knowing your risk factors can help you and your doctor understand your chances of developing endocarditis, and you can take steps to prevent infection and protect your heart.

Risk factors for endocarditis include:

• Age: Adults older than 65 are more likely to get endocarditis. Age-related changes to the heart valves, such as calcium deposits, give germs more landing spots.
• A history of endocarditis: If you’ve had endocarditis before, your heart tissue may have sustained damage that makes additional inflammation more likely.
• Artificial heart valves: Bacteria may be better able to attach to the foreign material of a prosthetic heart valve than native valve tissue.
• Congenital heart disease: Heart abnormalities that exist at birth, such as narrow valves, provide easier places for germs to collect.
• Heart valve disease: If you have a damaged heart valve, germs may be able to attach to it more easily.
• Implanted heart devices: Bacteria may attach to a pacemaker, cardioverter defibrillator or another implanted device, and trigger inflammation.
• Long-term IV use: Consistently receiving medications or using illicit drugs through an IV may allow germs to enter the bloodstream.
• Poor oral health: Not taking care of your teeth and gums can allow bacteria to build up and, potentially, enter the bloodstream.
• Weakened immune system: If your immune system isn’t as strong as it should be, it may struggle to destroy invading bacteria or fungi.

Complications

Without timely treatment, endocarditis can lead to serious health problems or death. Certain serious health problems can occur if the vegetations that form on the endocardium break free and block blood flow to important organs. In other cases, complications may arise due to damage to the heart or your body’s reaction to the infection.

Possible complications of endocarditis include:

• Abscesses: Vegetations on the endocardium may cause abscesses (pockets of pus) to form near the affected tissue.
• Arrhythmia: Damage to the heart may interfere with the organ’s pumping ability and cause it to beat irregularly.
• Heart attack: A vegetation that breaks loose from the endocardium may block an artery in the heart, causing a heart attack.
• Heart failure: If endocarditis damages the heart valves, the heart may have to work harder to pump blood, leading to heart failure.
• Heart valve damage: Vegetations that form on the endocardium can cause holes in the valves, which may worsen their function.
• Sepsis: This condition occurs when your body overreacts to an infection, potentially leading to dangerously low blood pressure and organ failure.
• Stroke: A stroke may occur if a vegetation separates from the endocardium and blocks an artery that feeds blood to the brain.

Diagnosing endocarditis

Your doctor will ask about your health history, including any heart conditions or procedures that could increase your risk for endocarditis. They will also want to learn about your symptoms. The doctor will check you for signs of endocarditis, such as a heart murmur. Finally, they will order blood and imaging tests to look for infection and determine how well your heart is working.