Volgens een recente studie heeft 62% van de ME/CVS-patiënten een (te) klein hart
(gemeten via de cardio-thorax ratio: zie afbeelding hieronder).
De afmetingen (m.n. linkerkamer) en de prestaties van het hart (slagvolume-index etc.)
van ME/CVS-patiënten met een "klein" hart waren beduidend minder dan
die van patiënten met een "normaal" hart en gezonde mensen (ca. -15% minder).
Het hoopgevende nieuws:
De afmetingen en prestaties van het hart nemen toe in "betere tijden".
Uiteraard is dit niet van belang voor mensen die inspanningstherapie propageren...
Cardiac function fluctuates during exacerbation and remission in young adults with chronic fatigue syndrome and "small heart".
J Cardiol. 2009 Aug;54(1):29-35. Epub 2009 Mar 28.
doi:10.1016/j.jjcc.2009.02.008
Miwa K, Fujita M.
BACKGROUND:
"Small heart syndrome",
previously referred to as so-called "neurocirculatory asthenia"
associated with a small heart shadow on the chest roentgenogram,
is characterized by
weakness or fatigue even after mild exertion,
palpitation,
dyspnea, and
fainting,
many of which
resemble symptoms in
patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
METHODS AND RESULTS:
The study population
comprised 42 patients with CFS younger than 40 years of age.
Cardiothoracic ratio
was determined on the chest roentgenogram and
echocardiographic examination
was performed to evaluate both
the cardiac chamber size and
function.
"Small heart"
(cardiothoracic ratio </=42%)
on the chest X-ray photograph
was noted in 26 (62%) of the study CFS patients.
Echocardiographic examination
demonstrated
significantly smaller mean values of
both the left ventricular (LV)
end-diastolic and
end-systolic dimensions,
stroke volume indexes and
cardiac indexes in CFS patients
with "small heart"
than in those without it
and also in 20 control subjects.
Thus,
CFS patients with "small heart"
had an actually
small LV chamber and
poor cardiac performance.
During a long follow-up period of
10 CFS patients with "small heart",
all echocardiographic parameters mentioned above improved and
cardiothoracic ratios increased significantly
during the remission phase
as compared with exacerbation phase.
CONCLUSIONS:
"Small heart"
on the chest X-ray photograph
was prevalently noted
in CFS patients.
Echocardiographic examination revealed that
CFS patients with "small heart"
had an actually small LV chamber and
poor cardiac performance.
Cardiac functional changes
evaluated by repeated examinations
appeared to be
directly associated with
the severity of their symptoms.
Small heart syndrome with impaired cardiac function
may contribute to the development of CFS
through low cardiac output as a constitutional factor.
PMID: 19632517
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19632517
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