Research from Washington University and the Veterans Administration Health Care System in Missouri found that those who have been infected with Covid-19 are more likely to incur cardiovascular issues, even a year after recovery from the disease.
In comparison to those who have not been affected by Covid-19, those who have been infected have a 72% greater chance of heart failure and a 63% greater chance of a heart attack. And experts agree that the cardiovascular effects post Covid doesn’t really discriminate against age, sex, and race.
“We realized it was evident in all subgroups, including younger adults, older adults, Black people, White people, and people with obesity and those without,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Alya, director of the Clinical Epidemiology Center at Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System.
While the cardiovascular effects of Covid may not discriminate against age, sex, and race, the ones who are far more likely to be affected with long-term complications are those with previous conditions. And Al-Alya says roughly 4% of infected persons may have serious heart problems.
But there are many factors that may contribute to those long-term complications. “Multiple mechanisms ranging from inflammatory damage to the muscle, blood flow-related damage, and even stress-related heart muscle strain can lead to long-term worsening of existing heart disease or even new structural disease that may not be reversible,” said Dr. Thomas Gut, D.O Associate Chair of the Department of Medicine at Staten Island University Hospital in New York. “Covid-19 can wreak havoc on the heart in multiple ways,” he continued.
Other authors who have contributed to the study say that individuals who have had Covid-19 “are at increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease spanning several categories, including cerebrovascular disorders, dysrhythmias, ischemic and nonischemic heart disease,pericarditis, myocarditis, heart failure, and thromboembolic disease.”
While the studies show those who previously had Covid-19 are at increased risk, that risk is primarily those who have previous conditions, who may also be at higher risk after catching a number of different viruses.
