Persistent Inflammation Is Disabling, and a Major Cause of Heart Attacks

Inflammation is part of the immune (body's defense) response to tissues injured by bacterial, viral (e.g., Covid-19), fungal, or parasitic infections, physical trauma or radiation, or exposure to toxic chemicals.

- DR P.S. VENKATESH RAO

Inflammation is part of the immune (body's defense) response to tissues injured by bacterial, viral (e.g., Covid-19), fungal, or parasitic infections, physical trauma or radiation, or exposure to toxic chemicals. Inflammation helps localize and eliminate the cause and initiate repairs. It causes a warm, red, painful swelling and stiffness. Excessive or prolonged (chronic) inflammation can prove harmful instead of being helpful. Severe inflammatory reaction, like in sepsis, can affect the entire body and injure vital organs, leading to life-threatening multi-organ failure. A sedentary lifestyle, chronic stress, obesity, poor diet, unhealthy gut microbes, disrupted sleep, and exposure to tobacco, drugs, pollutants, irritants, and allergens can trigger chronic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation can damage healthy tissues, vital organs, and the inner lining of blood vessels, leading to fat deposition in the arterial walls (atherosclerosis), increasing the risk of developing blood clots, heart attack, and stroke. Managing inflammation is therefore crucial for preventing heart attacks, stroke, and blockage of blood supply to other vital organs and body parts. Inflammation of the heart muscles (myocarditis) can cause heart failure, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Chronic inflammation also contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), autoimmune disorders, gut disorders (Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis), arthritis, asthma, Alzheimer's disease, and certain skin diseases.