Doctors are warning that people who have risky and unprotected sex are at an increased risk of a common virus that could lead to heart disease.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of viruses most often spread through oral or penetrative sex and childbirth. About 42million people are infected with HPV and 98 percent of Americans have been exposed to the virus.
However, most people don’t show symptoms but can still infect others, meaning it could be unknowingly spread between people.
There is a preventative vaccine recommended for all children and teens, however, many adults are unvaccinated as they were past the recommended age to receive the vaccine when it first became available in 2006.
And a new study now suggests those with HPV may be at an 40 percent increased risk of developing heart disease and coronary artery disease.
The group of viruses is most often associated with cancer in women and is responsible for 95 percent of cervical cancers, but a new study ‘clearly’ shows a link between HPV and heart complications.
Dr Stephen Akinfenwa, lead author and an internal medicine resident at University of Connecticut School of Medicine: ‘Our study shows that clearly there is an association of some kind between HPV and cardiovascular disease.’
Human papillomavirus (HPV) patients may be at an increased risk of developing heart disease and coronary artery disease. (Stock image)
Researchers aren’t sure why there is a link, but hypothesized that it’s likely related to chronic inflammation in the body due to warts that sometimes develop from the virus.
The research, which is being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session next week, analyzed data from seven studies conducted between 2011 and 2024 that included nearly 250,000 patients.
The studies included data on HPV status and cardiovascular outcomes across a follow-up time of three to 17 years.
Three of the studies were from the US, two were from South Korea, one was from Brazil and the last from Australia.
It is unclear whether the patients had initially been suffering from HPV and developed cardiovascular issues over the years or had both conditions before each study was conducted.
The experts analyzed the data to investigate the relationship between HPV and cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease and high blood pressure.
Results showed HPV-positive patients had a 40 percent higher likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease and twice the risk of developing coronary artery disease compared with HPV-negative patients.
No significant association was found between HPV and high blood pressure.
Despite adjusting for variables including sociodemographic factors, medical history, lifestyle behaviors, family history and use of blood pressure-lowering drugs, HPV-positive patients still had a 33 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases as compared with patients without HPV.
Dr Stephen Akinfenwa, lead author and an internal medicine resident at UConn School of Medicine noted that doctors should track heart health for people who test positive for HPV
HPV is a group of viruses most often spread through oral or penetrative sex and responsible for 95 percent of cervical cancers in women
Coronary artery disease is a condition that causes the arteries that supply blood to the heart to become narrowed or blocked – restricting blood flow to the heart muscle and leading to oxygen deprivation and damage.
This disease is the most common type of heart disease and affects one in 20 Americans above the age of 20. In 2022, 371,506 people died of coronary artery disease.
It usually develops due to a buildup of plaque (fatty deposits and cholesterol) on the inner walls of the coronary arteries.
Chronic inflammation is a significant factor in the development of coronary artery disease as it can cause the arteries to narrow even more and help build plaque in the walls, therefore making it more difficult for blood to flow to the heart.
HPV infections, especially persistent ones, can trigger chronic inflammation in the body and promote the growth of cancerous tumors.
An artery to the heart that is blocked by plaque or inflammation can cause a heart attack or stroke.
Based on the findings, Dr Akinfenwa noted doctors should track heart health for people who test positive for HPV.
He said: ‘We always talk about cardiovascular risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure and so on, but we know that about 20 percent of cardiovascular disease cannot be explained by these conventional risk factors.
‘This makes it important to identify non-conventional risk factors like HPV that could potentially be targeted.’
‘We would ultimately like to see if reducing HPV via vaccination could reduce cardiovascular risk.’
The researchers concluded that further research and clinical care is needed to better understand the strength and mechanisms of the linkage between HPV infection and heart disease.
This study is the first large-scale effort to assess the relationship between HPV and cardiovascular outcomes.
