Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 11

Carly Pearce Says 2024 Heart Diagnosis Sparked Heart-Attack Fears as Singer Reports No Major Flares

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 11

Carly Pearce Says 2024 Heart Diagnosis Sparked Heart-Attack Fears as Singer Reports No Major Flares

Q: After doctors blamed anxiety, how did Carly Pearce uncover her chronic heart condition?

She uncovered it by continuing to push for answers when she felt “something’s not right,” despite doctors initially attributing her chest pain, shortness of breath and fatigue to anxiety or overwork. Pearce has said her symptoms began in 2020, but the path to diagnosis was a long one because her complaints were repeatedly dismissed. According to the reporting, she eventually got the correct diagnosis of recurrent pericarditis in 2024 through persistence and self-advocacy—listening to her body, seeking further medical evaluation, and not accepting the early explanations that blamed stress. That matters because recurrent pericarditis can mimic anxiety or even a heart attack, with symptoms including sharp chest pain, fatigue and breathing trouble. Diagnosing it typically requires more than a routine checkup, often involving a medical history, physical exam, ECG, echocardiogram and blood tests for inflammation, and sometimes cardiac MRI in harder cases. Pearce now says she is doing well and has used her experience to urge others to trust their instincts, get credible medical information, and seek second opinions when symptoms persist. She has also cautioned against relying on online symptom searches alone, saying education is helpful but an accurate diagnosis ultimately depends on proper medical care.

Q: What new treatments offer hope for managing Carly Pearce's rare heart condition?

The most promising newer treatments for recurrent pericarditis are interleukin-1, or IL-1, blockers—especially rilonacept and anakinra. Pearce’s condition is typically treated at first with anti-inflammatory drugs such as NSAIDs and colchicine. But experts say recurrent pericarditis is increasingly understood as an autoinflammatory disease driven by excess IL-1 signaling, which has opened the door to more targeted therapies. Rilonacept, sold as Arcalyst, is the key breakthrough. It is the first FDA-approved treatment specifically for recurrent pericarditis and works by trapping IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta, helping reduce inflammation, relieve pain quickly, and lower the risk of future flares. Clinical evidence, including the RHAPSODY trial, helped establish it as a major advance, particularly for patients who want to avoid repeated steroid use. Anakinra, another IL-1 blocker, is also viewed by specialists as a promising steroid-sparing option, though it has been used more off-label. Both drugs reflect a shift away from simply treating symptoms toward targeting the inflammatory pathway driving the disease. There are also investigational therapies in development, including KPL-387 and KPL-1161, designed to block the same IL-1 pathway with potentially more convenient dosing. Those drugs remain in clinical testing, but they add to growing optimism that recurrent pericarditis can be managed more effectively over the long term.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 11

Carly Pearce, 36, said her 2024 recurrent pericarditis diagnosis initially left her fearing she could have a heart attack, though she now says she is "doing really well."
Pearce said education helped stop her from spiraling over worst-case scenarios and that she now has a plan for handling any flare of the chronic heart condition.
Symptoms including chest pain, shortness of breath and fatigue dated to 2020, she said, adding that doctors at first misdiagnosed or dismissed the problem as anxiety or an overbusy schedule.
At her annual "Carly's Closet" fundraiser during CMA Fest in Nashville, Pearce urged fans to seek medical care quickly, listen to their bodies and push for answers when something feels wrong.
The singer said the condition has changed her exercise habits more than her touring, while she continues work on her fifth studio album after 2024's "Hummingbird."