Valley Baptist doctor explains cardiomyopathy risks after Weslaco teen's caffeine-related death
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After attorneys said Larissa Rodriguez, a Weslaco cheerleader, died from cardiomyopathy caused by excessive caffeine consumption, Channel 5 News spoke with a local doctor to better understand the condition and what causes it.
Valley Baptist Health System physician Dr. Raul Reyes explained the dangers of cardiomyopathy.
"The heart just isn't pumping well anymore, or there's too much pressure that's being added to it," Reyes said.
Reyes says the condition can be caused by high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes. People who are overweight may also be at higher risk.
"When that happens, the heart may not be able to function as well as it did before because it's a muscle," Reyes said. "So if you damage the muscle, then the function is going to be impaired."
People diagnosed with cardiomyopathy need to think about what they eat and drink.
"You want to stay away from red meat. You want to stay away also from simple sugars," Reyes said. "I would strongly recommend staying away from energy drinks because those beverages have a large amount of caffeine."
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Reyes explained the symptoms of the condition.
"Either chest discomfort, chest pressure, shortness of breath... but also palpitations when they're exerting themselves or even at rest," Reyes said.
Reyes says the condition is more common in people in their 50s and 60s, but in some cases, it can be genetic.
Cardiomyopathy can be managed and even prevented in some cases.
"The management for these kinds of conditions is equal to the management of all of the medical conditions that lead to this, like high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure," Reyes said.
Doctors recommend regular checkups and early treatment to prevent complications. Reyes says once the heart is damaged, it's very rare for the heart's function to return to normal.
Watch the video above for the full story.
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