Unfortunately, according to new research, people with COVID-19 are at a remarkably higher risk of heart complications for the following year after testing positive compared to those who aren’t infected with the virus. Some heart complications may include irregular heart rhythm, heart attack, blood clots, inflammation, and heart failure, all of which can sometimes be lethal.

The Research

Precisely speaking, the researchers analyzed data gathered from almost 155,000 veterans who tested positive between March 2020 and January 2021. They then compared them to two control groups of people who didn’t have COVID-19, one group of 5.6 million people and another one of 5.8 million people. In other words, this was the first time research was conducted on such a large group regarding COVID-19 outcomes on cardiovascular health.

The results showed that those who had been infected with the virus had an increase in 20 heart health issues, including

• 52% higher risk of stroke
• 63% higher risk of heart attack
• 69% higher risk of irregular heart rhythm
• 72% higher risk of heart failure

And, as these are all chronic conditions, those patients will surely suffer from long-term consequences of the heart complication experienced.But, that’s not all! The most worrying finding was that even those who had a mild form of COVID-19 and were never hospitalized as a result of their symptoms were quite susceptible to having heart complications.

In addition, researchers weren’t able to clearly identify the link between COVID-19 and cardiovascular diseases in the post-acute phase. Potential mechanisms resulting in this phenomenon may be endothelial cell infection and the downregulation of ACE2.

Put shortly, endothelial cells are the ones lining blood vessels and regulating exchange between the bloodstream and tissues, whereas ACE2 is an enzyme attached to cells’ membranes in kidneys, the intestines, and other organs.

That said, as the precise connection between cardiovascular health and COVID-19 hasn’t been clarified yet, further research is needed to be able to successfully address the potential heart issues implied by the virus. What’s also important, the need for research is urgent and requires a global response strategy.

The Research Limitations

On the other hand, there were certain limitations to the study, of course. One of the main limitations was that about 89% of veterans are men and only 11% are women, meaning that the research was conducted on mainly male participants.

Moreover, there wasn’t enough racial diversity covered in the study so the researchers had to use statistical tools to try to make up for this imbalance. Plus, there wasn’t a 100% guarantee that all of the people in the control groups hadn’t been infected with COVID-19 before as they could have had mild infections or they might have been asymptomatic.

Furthermore, the data collected was before vaccines were widely available as the first one was authorized for emergency use only in December 2020 and became available to the public months after. But, now we know that being vaccinated against COVID-19 has proven to be beneficial for reducing potential complications.

Conclusion

Eventually, we can all agree that further research is needed about how COVID-19 may affect cardiovascular health in the long term. This study has obviously found a connection but the reasons are yet to be determined. Plus, the emergence of new variants, mutations, treatment options, and vaccine improvements, implies that new global research is much more than needed.