Dr Ramji Mehrotra | Effects of COVID-19 on the Heart

 The common understanding among laymen is that COVID-19 is just a lung disease. However, this view is not accurate. The SARS-CoV-2 virus affects the cardiovascular system also and people with high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes are prone to severe forms of COVID-19.



Major risk factors

Hypertension or high blood pressure is the greatest risk factor, specifically causing 2.5 times greater risk of mortality due to COVID-19 in people over 60. High blood glucose levels, high cholesterol, and obesity are the other risk factors.

Short term effect of COVID-19 on the heart

During the first few weeks after a person is infected, COVID-19 can affect the heart with problems such as inflammation of the heart muscle and inflammation of the membrane around the heart. According to medical research, one in four people hospitalized with COVID-19 suffer heart damage.

SARS-COV-2 virus binds to the body's ACE2 receptors which help in regulating processes such as inflammation and blood pressure. Hence, patients with heart disease and other cardiovascular risk factors need to be careful to avoid complications like constriction of arteries and high blood pressure, says dr ramji mehrotra.

Symptoms among people affected by COVID-19

Patients generally complain of cardiovascular symptoms like chest pain and palpitations along with neurological symptoms like headaches, numbness, brain fogginess, etc.

According to doctors, these symptoms share similarities with cardiovascular diseases like postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) which is characterized by an abnormal increase in heart rate and leads to dizziness and fainting.

COVID related cardiometabolic syndrome

According to dr ramji mehrotra, researchers in the US have identified a new COVID-related cardiometabolic syndrome. This has been found in patients with high body fat, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. These four factors can cause people with COVID-19 to experience blood clotting and poor immune function. 

According to the researchers, due to the unexpected cardiovascular vulnerabilities, there is a need to improve cardiometabolic health at the global level.



Long-term effects on the heart

COVID-19 can cause lingering effects such as fatigue and breathlessness though data on the long-term cardiovascular impact is limited currently.

Though most of the patients with COVID-19 recover completely, possible long-term risks for survivors remain. Researchers have discovered evidence of ongoing heart dysfunction in recovered COVID-19 patients.

While fatigue, chest pain, and joint pain are some of the persistent symptoms, according to a research paper 78 percent of recovered patients had abnormalities in the heart and 60 percent had ongoing myocardial inflammation.

The amount of damage inflicted upon the heart varies according to a patient’s immune response, infecting dose of virus, and comorbidities if any. Though the risk is higher in patients with underlying heart issues, it has been observed that even healthy people have been affected by heart damage after recovering from COVID-19.

Conclusion

Considering the significant damage that COVID-19 can cause to the heart, people with any preexisting heart conditions should make healthy lifestyle changes like regular exercise, proper sleep, and avoiding smoking and tobacco. This will minimize any complications in case they are affected by COVID-19.

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