The death of actor Jansen Panettiere, the 28-year-old younger brother of Hayden Panettiere, who was found dead on February 19, has left the family reeling.
Hayden and her parents, Skip Panettiere and Leslie Fogel, released a statement that read in part: “It is with great sadness that we share the tremendous and sudden loss of beautiful Jansen. Although it offers little comfort, the medical examiner reported that Jansen’s sudden death was due to an enlarged heart (an enlarged heart) cardiomegaly), along with aortic valve complications.”
The sad development has also brought to light Jansen’s condition — a condition that affects many other people, Dr. Jeffrey Teutberg, a cardiologist at Stanford Health Care who was not involved in Panettiere’s care, explains to Yahoo.
“There are millions of Americans who have some degree of cardiomegaly,” he says, noting that it’s more common for a 58-year-old than, say, Panettiere.
What is cardiomegaly?
Dr. Shriprasad R. In the heart, specifically, the pumping chamber (ventricle) of the heart. This usually results in less effective pumping of the heart and may eventually lead to heart failure.”
One reason could be a leaking valve, though it’s unclear if that’s the case here.
As Teutberg tells us, “When the valves are either too leaky or too narrow, over time this can affect heart function and the heart can enlarge as a result.”
What are the symptoms?
When the heart is enlarged and weakened, people can find themselves tired more quickly.
“They may have a decreased ability to exercise, they may have a racing heart, and sometimes they may experience syncope (fainting/loss of consciousness),” says Deshpande. “In children, the only symptom may be breathing problems, stomach pain or loss of appetite. Serious symptoms are sudden cardiac arrest, which can lead to sudden death.”
But it’s difficult, because an enlarged heart often masquerades as other conditions, such as asthma. The sign could be something subtle like a loss of appetite or stomach pain after eating.
And Teuteberg warns that younger people without other medical issues may not even notice that they’re not able to ride their bike as often as they used to or play basketball for as long. But they must.
“Sometimes people get things like a lump in the abdomen or swollen feet, when they’ve been around for a long time and get a little bit worse,” Teutberg says. “Sometimes people may experience heart palpitations or feel a racing heart as well, because having an arrhythmia is more common for people with a weak heart muscle.”
How is an enlarged heart diagnosed?
Don’t panic, because none of these symptoms alone mean you have heart disease. You just need to get checked out if you notice something, or if an enlarged heart runs in the family. (Deshpande notes that these patients are most commonly diagnosed in their first two years of life.)
Your doctor can examine you with an electrocardiogram and, if necessary, an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart), which is used to diagnose the condition.
Can an enlarged heart be treated?
Yes, and treatments can vary widely. Patients can often manage heart failure or arrhythmias with medication. In the event of a severe valve leak, Deshpande says valve surgery or valve replacement may be helpful.
“If the heart is severely enlarged, a heart transplant may be the best option. Sometimes if the enlargement is severe, we may use small mechanical pumps to stabilize the person so that they can be bridged to the transplant,” he says.
Again, both physicians advise patients to see a doctor with anxiety.
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