Poor Nutrition and PPCM

[heartfulloflove]

I've read that poor nutrition can play a role in developing PPCM.

[edit]
How does nutrition *after* diagnosis affect outcome?

[SerenaWelsh]

Shannon,

Please remind me - wasn't your latest MUGA 61%? I think that would put you in the already recovered category - making everything you're experiencing an annoying and uncomfortable side effect of getting back to a healthy regimen.

[heartfulloflove]

Yes, 57%. But actually, I don't feel comfortable calling myself recovered until my cardiologist (a) gives his say that I am recovered and (b) informs me that my heart size has gone back to normal, as he still feels it hasn't yet.

My question wasn't about symptoms, it was about how nutrition after diagnosis affects outcome.

[SerenaWelsh]

Shannon,

Sorry...I thought you were asking about the symptoms you described in your original post before the edit.

I'm no nurse, or doctor, and I don't play one on TV (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night - ha!) - but it would seem that getting proper nutrition would affect your outcome positively, just as seriously improper nutrition might make you sicker.

Again, sorry - I was, and probably still am unclear on what exactly you were asking.

[tabs]

Shannon,

Not an expert here, but as with all things proper nutrition is important to give your body the tools it needs to heal itself. That being said, considering where my EF started and the damage done plus the complications I had.......I made an impressive recovery especially when you consider that 5 days after diagnosis with 7% I perforated my bowel resulting in a bowel resection plus iliostomy. I certainly was not getting the proper nutrition with the damage to the bowel (difficulties absorbing, etc.), but what I tried to put in my mouth was healthy (probably not all those hospitals means on my next to hospitals stays-yuck!:p ).

On the note about PPCM and the role the lack of nutrition plays in its development - I believe that in his research, Dr. Fett and his team have not been able to establish any particular nutritional deficiency as a risk factor for PPCM. If PPCM turns out to be an autoimmune disease, then the role of nutrition in the development of it can be put to rest. Most autoimmune diseases, in their early stages, have been linked to nutritional problems, but none have ever panned out. The only way that nutritional problems would cause PPCM was if your body had a weird reaction to a particular food (allergy) that forced the immune system to attack the heart. This would be very unlikely as usually the altered immune response is in response to a virus or toxin.

Just some of my thoughts,
Twilah

[heartfulloflove]

Twilah, thank you! I had read about the nutrition issue somewhere else, I have no idea where. I kind of wondered how much merit there was to that, now I have a much better idea.

You've really been through it huh? Wow. I think it's awesome you've come so far and done so well!

[tabs]

Twilah, thank you! I had read about the nutrition issue somewhere else, I have no idea where. I kind of wondered how much merit there was to that, now I have a much better idea.

You've really been through it huh? Wow. I think it's awesome you've come so far and done so well!

Thanks Shannon, but I wouldn't be anywhere without God!

[JAMESFETT]

Twilah is right on. While we have not been able to identify a specific nutritional factor for the high incidence of PPCM in Haiti, we continue to search for an elusive micro-nutritient factors. The search is important because in animal experimentation--with mouse cardiomyopathy--and virus, it has been clearly shown that selenium deficiency can make a cosxackievirus that ordinarily does not cause cardiomyopathy to become virulent and cause it if there is selenium deficiency. But we found no selenium deficiency in Haiti, and there is none in the USA except for those who may be terminally deficient as a result of severe malutrition, for example as a result of cancer. Trace metals in excess or micro-nutritional deficiencies could theoretically play a role in PPCM by their effect upon the immune system. Nothing definitive found to date however.

JDF

[heartfulloflove]

Wow, that's really interesting. Thank you Dr. Fett (and Twilah too!) for the information.