As Covid-19 continues to spread (over 200,00 new cases in the USA each day for the past two weeks) , evidence has mounted that active Covid-19 patients and survivors can experience some types of heart damage. Heart effects are more likely among men, older persons, and people with diabetes, high blood pressure, known prior heart disease and obesity.
A recent study of over 44,000 patients with Covid-19 showed that patients with a history of cardiovascular disease were 5 times more likely to die of the virus than patients without this history. Frequent cardiovascular complications include heart attacks, myocarditis (acute inflammation of the heart muscle), acute heart failure (decreased ability of the heart to pump blood), failure to maintain adequate blood pressure, changes in heart rhythm, and blood clots in veins.
New evidence suggests that some patients who are not hospitalized and who have not been diagnosed with cardiovascular complications while they were ill may seem to recover from Covid-19 and yet be left with cardiovascular damage and complications. A recent JAMA study of mostly non-hospitalized patients revealed that 78 percent of patients who recovered from Covid-19 had abnormalities in their hearts and that 60 percent showed signs of ongoing heart inflammation.
It’s hard to know who’s at risk or how to screen those patients who are recovering from Covid-19 for possible cardiac risks, but if these patients experience increasing or extreme shortness of breath, chest pain, swelling of the ankles, heart palpitations (irregular beats), not being able to lie flat due to shortness of breath, waking up at night short of breath, or unexplained dizziness and lightheadedness they should consult their doctor right away.
Even if there is heart damage related to Covid-19, patients with myocarditis due to other viral infections have recovered without any permanent effects. Studies are ongoing to determine the best treatments and preventive strategies for heart disease. Many of these patients already receive dexamethasone (a corticosteroid medication) to reduce inflammation and blood thinners to prevent blood clots from forming. Because of these and other treatments, the mortality rates from Covid-19 infections are falling.
It has only been a year since Covid-19 was first reported. Much has been learned and treatments have improved, but we have a long way to go to learn all of the answers.
Check this link for more information:
https://www.heart.org/en/news/2020/09/03/what-covid-19-is-doing-to-the-heart-even-after-recovery