Catherine O’Hara Dies: Understanding Dextrocardia, the Rare Heart Condition She Was Born With

Hollywood

actress Catherine O’Hara died in Los Angeles at the age of 71, following a brief illness. Even though the cause of her death is unclear, according to media reports, a 911 dispatch audio has revealed she suffered from breathing difficulties, with paramedics summoned to the scene around 5 a.m. Page Six reported that the Schitt’s Creek actor was rushed to the hospital in a serious condition before passing. O’Hara had confirmed in her earlier interviews that she had the rare cardiac inversus, or dextrocardia with situs inversus, a rare congenital condition in which a person's heart and other internal organs are on the other side of the body, creating a mirror image of where most people's organs are.

What is dextrocardia?

Dextrocardia is a change in how your heart is positioned in your chest - on the right side. This makes it a mirror image of a typical heart, which is on the left. Dextrocardia is a congenital heart defect, which means you are born with it. On its own, dextrocardia is not serious as it does not lead to any symptoms or complications, and also does not need treatment. But many people with dextrocardia are also born with other conditions, which can cause problems that need medical attention. Dextrocardia is rare and occurs in about 1 in every 12,000 pregnancies. According to the Cleveland Clinic, many of those with dextrocardia also have heart defects that impact their heart function. These defects can cause symptoms and complications that need treatment.

What causes dextrocardia?

Studies in the National Institutes of Health have said that gene changes that happen early in pregnancy cause the issue, as more than 60 genes play a role in how your organs get positioned in your body. Researchers are still looking for the specific gene that causes dextrocardia. About 1 in 4 people with dextrocardia also have primary ciliary dyskinesia, which causes changes in more than 30 different genes, including DNAI1 and DNAH5, can cause this genetic disorder. Some people can be “carriers.” This means they have a gene change but no signs of the condition.Also read: Night Owls Beware: Staying Up Late May Be Silently Damaging Your Heart

What are the associated defects of dextrocardia?

Those who receive a dextrocardia diagnosis are often diagnosed with other forms of congenital heart disease at the same time, a few of which include:

• Double inlet left ventricle
• Double outlet right ventricle
• Hole in the heart
• Pulmonary atresia
• Pulmonary stenosis
• Transposition of the arteries

Signs and symptoms of dextrocardia

While there may be no symptoms, you might not even know your heart is on the right side of your chest until there has been some kind of imaging test for another reason. However, dextrocardia can occur along with other heart defects or genetic disorders, with symptoms like:

• Feeling extremely tired
• Frequent lung or sinus infections
• Getting very tired or out of breath during physical activity
• Irregular heartbeat
• Skin that looks blue
• Pale skin
• Yellow skin and eyes
• Breathlessness
• Frequent coughing bouts