COVID-19 and The Heart

What Connections Have We Found Between The Heart & COVID-19

By now, it is known that COVID-19 provides greater risk of serious illness or death to people with pre-existing conditions.  However, the more we learn about COVID-19, the more we uncover the connection between the virus and heart conditions. 

What pre-existing conditions are considered high-risk for COVID-19?

Generally, any pre-existing conditions that could impact lung function or suppress the immune system can impact an individual’s COVID-19 risk.  These conditions include diabetes, asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and many autoimmune disorders. 

How do heart conditions make someone more susceptible to COVID-19? 

COVID-19 can cause heart disorders including heart injury, arrhythmias, heart attacks, and blood clots.  If the heart is already weakened from previous heart conditions, this effect is even greater.  Low oxygen levels caused by COVID-19 can place significant stress on vulnerable hearts causing patients to become sicker than they otherwise would.  COVID-19 infection also causes blood clots which can block blood flow in the lungs.  These blood clots in the lungs can cause increased strain on the heart as well. 

Does COVID-19 cause heart damage? 

COVID-19 can cause heart damage, even in people with healthy hearts.  It is believed that SARS-CoV-2 can inflame the heart muscle and harm the heart by impacting the balance between blood supply and demand.  This injury can be measured by looking at the level of troponin in the bloodstream.  

How does COVID-19 cause heart inflammation?

 As COVID-19 progresses , the body reacts to the virus by releasing cytokines into the bloodstream. Cytokines, which are inflammatory molecules that normally attack infection, can also damage the heart and other organs.  Inflammation in the heart is known as myocarditis, which makes the heart susceptible to becoming weakened and enlarged, resulting in low blood pressure and fluid in the lungs.  

Do all people with severe COVID-19 suffer heart inflammation? 

Research suggests that less than 5% of patients with COVID-19 infection will suffer myocarditis..   These individuals may have ongoing heart problems even after they clear the infection. 

How else can COVID-19 impact the heart? 

With the decreased ability of the lungs to function properly in COVID-19 cases, the heart works harder to pump more blood through the body and to deliver more oxygen to oxygen-starved body parts. In addition, most heart attacks are caused by the formation of blood clots in arteries leading to the heart, which blocks the delivery of oxygen. COVID-19 increases the likelihood that these clots will form because the body’s immune response makes clotting more likely, and puts individuals at higher risk of heart attacks

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This post was written by CJ Urgent Care of NJ