Chronic Sinusitis Linked to Heart Attack

Sinusitis is a global source of infection and discomfort, but until recently its effects were believed to start and end in the head. Now researchers have Taiwan have discovered an important link between sinusitis and myocardial infarction, also known as a heart attack:

The link between chronic inflammatory disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is recognized. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases.

That is the authors speaking in the background to their important study, which can be downloaded in its entirety on the page. Their conclusion: patients who suffered from chronic sinusitis in an epidemiological study, tracked over six years, exhibited a markedly higher incidence of heart attack than did a control population. In fact, the increase was on the order of 50%:

Among the 47,850 sampled subjects, the incidence rate of AMI during the 6-year follow-up period was 5.66/1000 person-years; rates were 8.49 and 5.09/1000 person-years for the study and comparison cohort, respectively.

This is big news, and an important indication that sinusitis may carry far-reaching consequences. If you have experienced sinus pain, pressure or congestion for more than three weeks, I strongly recommend contacting an expert sinus physician immediately to make an appointment.

Tags: chronic sinusitis, heart attack, heart disease, los angeles sinus