The researchers pointed out that the cocoa drink they used was specially processed to retain much higher levels of flavanols than are typically found in commercially-available cocoa drinks; so it is unlikely that drinking more hot chocolate would produce a similar effect.
What Is Endocarditis? Endocarditis (EN-do-kar-DI-tis) is an infection of the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves. This lining is called the endocardium (en-do-KAR-de-um). The condition also is called infective endocarditis (IE). The term endocarditis also is used to describe an inflammation of the endocardium due to other conditions. This article only discusses endocarditis related to infection. IE occurs if bacteria, fungi, or other germs invade your bloodstream and attach to abnormal areas of your heart.
The heart of a person with endocarditis has clumps of bacteria and cells (vegetation) that form on the heart valves. This makes it harder for the heart to work properly. On occasions, the infection can spread to the kidneys, lungs, and brain. Abscesses can develop in the heart muscle in some cases.n infection of the endocardium causes endocarditis. The infection is generally caused by the bacteria streptococci or staphylococci. Endocarditis can be caused by fungi or other infectious micro-organisms, but very rarely.