Thyrotoxicosis and the heart
Article Abstract:
Some patients with thyrotoxicosis, or increased levels of thyroid hormone, may develop heart disease. Thyrotoxicosis can affect blood circulation, and change the work load on the heart. Excess thyroid hormone increases heart rate and cardiac output. Thyrotoxicosis patients suffering from heart disease often experience breathlessness and heart palpitations during exercise. Nine to 22% of patients suffer from episodes of atrial fibrillation. These patients have a higher risk of developing congestive heart failure or having a blood clot block an artery. Patients with thyrotoxicosis may also develop chest pain caused by underlying coronary artery disease. Blood levels of thyroid hormone should be measured in patients suspected of having thyrotoxicosis. Heart disease patients with thyrotoxicosis should be treated with anti-thyroid drugs followed by treatment with radioactive iodine to decrease thyroid gland activity. They should be treated with drugs to manage their heart disease or to prevent the formation of blood clots.
Publication Name: The New England Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0028-4793
Year: 1992
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A three-year-old boy with obstructive uropathy and a heart murmur of increasing intensity
Article Abstract:
A three-year-old boy was diagnosed with subvalvar membranous aortic stenosis. Subvalvar membranous aortic stenosis is a disorder characterized by narrowing of the aortic value of the heart by the accumulation of fibrous tissue. The patient was admitted to the hospital with a heart murmur that was becoming progressively louder. He had undergone surgery for kidney abnormalities shortly after birth, and further surgery had been planned for worsening kidney function. At three-and-a-half months of age, he had been diagnosed with a heart murmur. A chest X-ray on admission revealed normal lungs and a heart that was normal in shape and size. An echocardiogram revealed that the patient was suffering from subvalvar membranous aortic stenosis. He underwent surgery to remove the fibrous tissue obstructing his aortic valve and has no other symptoms.
Publication Name: The New England Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0028-4793
Year: 1992
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Diastolic heart failure
Article Abstract:
'Diastolic heart failure' refers to the development of effort intolerance and dyspnea in an asymptomatic patient, especially in combination with venous congestion and pulmonary edema. The initial treatment of diastolic heart failure should be directed at reducing the congestive state by using diuretics, with long-term goals being to control congestion and to eliminate or reduce the factors that confer a predisposition to diastolic dysfunction.
Publication Name: The New England Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0028-4793
Year: 2004
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