Key result
Socioeconomic development in Kerala is linked to a tremendous decline in young endomyocardial fibrosis cases.
Why the study?
Endomyocardial fibrosis remains a significant restrictive cardiomyopathy in Kerala, India, with unclear factors influencing its decline over recent decades.
Socioeconomic development appears to be a major factor in the decline of endemic endomyocardial fibrosis in Kerala, India.
Supports socioeconomic factors in EMF decline; hypothesis-generating for prevention in other endemic regions.
Endomyocardial fibrosis is the most common restrictive cardiomyopathy observed world wide. The disease occurs in its classical endemic form in the selected coastal belt in Kerala, India, affecting young people of lower socioeconomic families, and attracting worldwide attention. Geographical identification of high levels of cerium in the soil samples of this coastal belt generated a new "geochemical hypothesis" for endocardial injury. Endocardial calcification, a pathognomonic, but less common feature of the disease, may share the same pathobiology of vascular and valvar calcification occurring in other diseases. Over the past four decades, Kerala has witnessed a tremendous change in its socioeconomic and health status and a corresponding decline in new cases of endomyocardial fibrosis in the younger age group. This decline parallels the decline of rheumatic fever reported earlier in developed nations. Socioeconomic development is, therefore, a major factor in the control of this enigmatic disease.
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S Sivasankaran (2008) conducted a review in Endomyocardial fibrosis. Socioeconomic development was evaluated. Socioeconomic development over the past four decades in Kerala, India, has been associated with a tremendous decline in new cases of endomyocardial fibrosis in the younger age group.