Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Are viruses of the heart contagious?
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
Are viruses of the heart contagious?
by joan__0__0, Dec 04, 1998 12:00AM
Can viruses associated with viral cardiomyopathy be transmitted through seman or saliva?
Doctor's Answer
by CCF Cardio MD - MTR, Dec 04, 1998 12:00AM
_
Dear Joan, thank you for your question. This is a tough question to answer because there has not been any specific research done on the transmission of viruses that can cause cardiomyopathies. First, dilated cardiomyopathy (not caused by heart attacks or coronary artery disease) has a variety of etiologies (medications, alcohol, immune system disorders, unknown, and viral infections). There are certain viruses that have been associated with cardiomyopathies including coxackie viruses, but this is usually a diagnosis of exclusion. Most commonly, viral infections are diagnosed from biopsies of the heart muscle but there is not a true cause and effect relationship that has been established for viruses - there is just an association. Second, epidemiologic studies have not shown an increased incidence of cardiomyopathy in relatives, spouses, or close contacts of patients with cardiomyopathies. Thus, we do not recommend that specific measures be taken to isolate someone who has a cardiomyopathy. Finally, there is no available evidence that viruses that cause cardiomyopathies are transmitted through semen and saliva.
I hope this information is useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician can provided specific diagnoses and therapies. Feel free to write back with further questions. Good luck!
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
Dear Joan, thank you for your question. This is a tough question to answer because there has not been any specific research done on the transmission of viruses that can cause cardiomyopathies. First, dilated cardiomyopathy (not caused by heart attacks or coronary artery disease) has a variety of etiologies (medications, alcohol, immune system disorders, unknown, and viral infections). There are certain viruses that have been associated with cardiomyopathies including coxackie viruses, but this is usually a diagnosis of exclusion. Most commonly, viral infections are diagnosed from biopsies of the heart muscle but there is not a true cause and effect relationship that has been established for viruses - there is just an association. Second, epidemiologic studies have not shown an increased incidence of cardiomyopathy in relatives, spouses, or close contacts of patients with cardiomyopathies. Thus, we do not recommend that specific measures be taken to isolate someone who has a cardiomyopathy. Finally, there is no available evidence that viruses that cause cardiomyopathies are transmitted through semen and saliva.
I hope this information is useful. Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Only your physician can provided specific diagnoses and therapies. Feel free to write back with further questions. Good luck!
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.
