Tonsil and appendix surgery link to acute MI
Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:23 pm
http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/story.asp?s ... id=NjU3NzM
yMTU1MgS2&sp_mid=36685985
Tonsil and appendix surgery link to acute MI
06 Jun 11
By Christian Duffin
Children and teenagers who have their tonsils or appendix removed have an increased risk of early
heart attack.
Researchers studied national health records of children born in Sweden between 1955 and 1970. They
identified 54,449 appendectomies and 27,284 tonsillectomies, and compared the subsequent incidences
of acute myocardial infarction with rates among people who had not had such surgery.
Compared with those who had not had surgery, there was 44% added risk of heart attacks linked to a
tonsillectomy, and 33% extra for an appendectomy. The researchers said risks were higher when both
tonsils and appendices were removed, but stressed that because of the young age of the patients, the
absolute extra risk was over the course of their lifetime very small.
The researchers said removing tonsils and appendices could affect the immune system, as they are
secondary lymphoid organs.
Study leader Dr Imre Janszky, associate professor at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm,
concluded: 'We could investigate only premature heart attacks, which are very rare, so it is not
clear to what extent our results are applicable to typical heart attacks, which occur at much older
ages than in our very young cohort.'
Eur Heart J 2011 online 1 June
READERS' COMMENTS
* vinci ho - Liverpool | 03 Jun 11
Perhaps when you removed lymphoid tissues , the body will deal with concurrent infections in a
different and more general inflammatory response which is something being talked about for a long
time as a cause of acute MI . Will be interesting to monitor the CRP on regular basis on these
tonsillectomised or appedictomised patients to see if they are elevated most times
yMTU1MgS2&sp_mid=36685985
Tonsil and appendix surgery link to acute MI
06 Jun 11
By Christian Duffin
Children and teenagers who have their tonsils or appendix removed have an increased risk of early
heart attack.
Researchers studied national health records of children born in Sweden between 1955 and 1970. They
identified 54,449 appendectomies and 27,284 tonsillectomies, and compared the subsequent incidences
of acute myocardial infarction with rates among people who had not had such surgery.
Compared with those who had not had surgery, there was 44% added risk of heart attacks linked to a
tonsillectomy, and 33% extra for an appendectomy. The researchers said risks were higher when both
tonsils and appendices were removed, but stressed that because of the young age of the patients, the
absolute extra risk was over the course of their lifetime very small.
The researchers said removing tonsils and appendices could affect the immune system, as they are
secondary lymphoid organs.
Study leader Dr Imre Janszky, associate professor at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm,
concluded: 'We could investigate only premature heart attacks, which are very rare, so it is not
clear to what extent our results are applicable to typical heart attacks, which occur at much older
ages than in our very young cohort.'
Eur Heart J 2011 online 1 June
READERS' COMMENTS
* vinci ho - Liverpool | 03 Jun 11
Perhaps when you removed lymphoid tissues , the body will deal with concurrent infections in a
different and more general inflammatory response which is something being talked about for a long
time as a cause of acute MI . Will be interesting to monitor the CRP on regular basis on these
tonsillectomised or appedictomised patients to see if they are elevated most times