City
Epaper

Study reveals cause of heart muscle disease in children is key to effective treatment

By ANI | Updated: June 8, 2023 15:00 IST

Washington [US], June 8 : Cardiomyopathy treatment for children should be personalised based on the root cause, symptoms, and ...

Open in App

Washington [US], June 8 : Cardiomyopathy treatment for children should be personalised based on the root cause, symptoms, and course of the ailment in each child.

According to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published in the Association's flagship, peer-reviewed journal Circulation.

Cardiomyopathy is a cardiac muscle illness that can make it difficult for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body, eventually leading to heart failure and death. There are various forms of paediatric cardiomyopathies, all of which are rare but potentially fatal illnesses. According to population-based research in the United States, Finland, and Australia, they afflict one in every 100,000 children.

The new scientific statement, the first to focus on treatment for cardiomyopathy in children, emphasizes important differences among the various types of treatments for cardiomyopathies and heart failure in children and adults. The statement is a companion to the Association's 2019 scientific statement focused on the diagnosis of pediatric cardiomyopathy.

"Children's cardiomyopathies may have similar names to cardiomyopathies in adults; however, they often have very different causes, different risk factors, different paths of progression and different outcomes," said Steven E. Lipshultz, M.D., FAHA, chair of the statement writing group. "Children don't have the same behavioral or environmental factors contributing to cardiomyopathy in general, they don't smoke; they don't drink alcohol; they don't have long-standing conditions such as obesity or Type 2 diabetes. So, treatments in children, which may range from replacing missing enzymes to heart transplantation, must be tailored to the root causes of their cardiomyopathy."

Many of the causes of cardiomyopathy in children are related to genetic abnormalities rather than Type 2 diabetes, alcoholism, long-term high blood pressure or family history, as seen in adults. Symptoms of cardiomyopathy in children may include difficulty breathing; heart palpitations; fainting during physical activity; swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, abdomen, or congestion of neck veins; or heart failure symptoms, such as trouble breathing, poor feeding or growth, excessive sweating, low blood pressure or fatigue.

Pediatric cardiomyopathy may be diagnosed in a variety of stages some patients may carry a genetic abnormality for the condition yet have no symptoms, while others may have severe symptoms or end-stage disease, according to the statement writing committee. Physicians are urged to thoroughly examine and evaluate their pediatric patients to identify the root cause of the condition to develop a treatment plan.

"Genetic testing of all children with cardiomyopathy is prudent and is likely to have clinical value," said Lipshultz, who is also a professor in the department of pediatrics and former chair of pediatrics at the University at Buffalo's Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Buffalo, New York. "Such genetic screening may result in financial and emotional cost savings."

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

Tags: BuffaloUnited StatesAmerican Heart AssociationAssociationAmerican Medical AssociationAmerican Dental AssociationDelhi And District Cricket AssociationState AssociationSouth Asian Association For Regional CooperationUnited States Anti Doping AgencyUnited States Armed ForcesUnited States PresidentInternational Association Of Fire FightersBuffalo Park
Open in App

Related Stories

InternationalUS Visa Waiver Program: Can Indian Passport Holders Enter the US Without Visa? Citizens of 41 Countries Get Free Entry

OpinionsWill the Trump Card work Against China?

Business38% Fall In Gold Prices Over The Next 5 Years: Market Experts Predict Steep Decline Ahead?

OpinionsWhat do America’s Actions Mean?

InternationalOhio Shocker: 12-Year Old Boy Dies of Cardiac Arrest After Man Forces Him To Take Ice Baths As Corporal Punishment

Technology Realted Stories

TechnologyCentre extends financial aid to indigenous indoor air purification solution

TechnologyIndia to soon launch safety assessment rating for trucks and heavy vehicles: Nitin Gadkari

TechnologyBroadband subscribers stand at 944.04 million in Feb, tele-density up: TRAI

TechnologyIndia achieves breakthrough in gene therapy for haemophilia: Minister

TechnologyIndia must expand steel production to achieve 'zero import & net export' goal: PM Modi