People born with heart defects who pierce their ears or other body parts risk
developing life-threatening heart valve infections. Doctors from the Mayo Clinic
in Rochester, Minnesota, studied 445 patients with congenital heart defects.
Those with piercings had a one in four chance of developing endocarditis—a
dangerous infection of the heart valves—presumably caused by bacteria that
initially infected the piercing. Carole Warnes, who led the team, says that if
such patients insist on body piercings, these should be accompanied by
antibiotics.
More from 91av
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending 91av articles
1
We have figured out a new way to send messages into the past
2
100-year-old assumption about the universe may soon be overturned
3
Human heads have changed shape a lot in the past 100 years
4
Why the keto diet could be a revolutionary way to treat mental illness
5
Is consciousness more fundamental to reality than quantum physics?
6
The best new science fiction books of May 2026
7
The rings of Uranus are even stranger than we thought
8
An unorthodox version of quantum theory could reveal what reality is
9
We may finally have a cure for many different autoimmune conditions
10
The 4 biggest myths about hydration, according to an expert
