'Medieval STI' nearly eradicated in the 90s is on the rise and it raises risk of heart attack
Topics: Health
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock
Topics: Health
A sexually transmitted infection (STI) which was nearly eradicated in the 1990s has surged in recent years and is said to increase your risk of having a heart attack.
Syphilis, dubbed a 'medieval STI', can be pretty difficult to spot, especially because symptoms may come and go, while others may not present themselves to years after initial exposure.
Dr Kayla Stover, a professor and vice chair of pharmacy practice at the University of Mississippi, said of the symptoms to look out for: "The first stage of syphilis starts with a lesion in a person's mouth or genital area that starts a couple of weeks after exposure.
"It is often painless, can disappear and, therefore, can go unnoticed.
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"If untreated, a rash may appear on a person's extremities - particularly the palms of the hands and soles of the feet - eight to 12 weeks after exposure. If still untreated, it may simply go away or lay dormant with possibility of reappearing, causing long-term damage."
Syphilis can spread during oral, vaginal or anal sex through contact with infectious sores, with cases on the rise due to decreased condom use, less screening and lack of access to healthcare.
In a recently published study, health experts looked into the records of over 1,400 adults diagnosed with syphilis between 2011 and 2025 and those not diagnosed with the potentially fatal STI but with similar health profiles.
Researchers uncovered syphilis bacteria damages blood vessels over time, with those diagnosed with the disease developing cardiovascular issues at a significantly higher rate.
Experts worryingly found heart attacks occurred in nearly seven percent of patients with syphilis, while strokes impacted more than 10 percent of those patients.
The chance of a bleeding stroke was also 92 higher amongst people who had the STI, while those infected also had twice the chance of developing aortic swelling, a weakened, stretched, or bulging area in the body's main artery that can rupture.
Such would be life threatening and need immediate medical attention.
The perhaps most eye-opening stat comes in the form of syphilis patients being six more times likely to die compared to those without the disease but with a similar health profile, according to the study.
In a worst-case scenario, tertiary, the final stage of syphilis can lead to blindness, heart damage, nervous system damage, mental health disorders and potentially even brain damage.
Health experts recommend people get tested yearly or more often if they have multiple sexual partners.