Okay, viral questions

[heartfulloflove]

I've read that many IDCMs are suspected to have had a viral cause. Does a virus directly attack the heart muscle and lead to CM, or does a person first develop a myocarditis or something? I'm not sure how it works.

Also, what is the incidence of suspected viral CM cases? I can't find a reasonable statistic on it.

I'm wondering if I am scaring myself for nothing, or if there's anything I can do to protect myself. PPCM is easy to prevent...don't get pregnant. Viral CM seems...sigh...it's one of those things I can't control, and I have issues with that I suppose.

[SusanD]

I do not know percentages and such, but really...........it is soooooooo rare. I think I have encountered 2 cases in all of my years of nursing.

I have been sick numerous times *since* my PPCM diagnosis and none has led to any sort of regression in my condition.

[heartfulloflove]

Thank you Susan, that is incredibly reassuring :)

[SusanD]

I also wanted to let you know that I understand your fears. I had pnuemonia last spring and I was ever aware of any cardiac symptoms. I think most of us will continue to have those fears on some scale at least. You are not alone and your questions are good ones.

[JAMESFETT]

Statistics favor you in that it is so extremely unlikely you will have any heart problems with other viruses, even if the PPCM or whatever you had originated with a virus. In IDCM, still unknown how many may have started with a viral infection, but the accumulating data suggests (supported by many animal studies, particularly with mice, rats, rabbits, and monkeys) that an important segment of people (or those animals) with IDCM started with a "heart-loving" virus which then changed over to an autoimmune process in the heart, leading to loss of functioning heart muscle and heart failure. The vast majority of people exposed to these types of virus develop no clinical disease, just become exposed, resist any damage, and then become immune to subsequent infection. With time you will realize that they pose little or no danger for you.

JDF

[heartfulloflove]

Thank you both so much, Susan and Dr. Fett. This really has brought my fear down about a hundred notches.

[Erin]

Mine too. :o