New research suggests that COVID-19 can cause long-term heart damage
Two studies published on July 27 in JAMA Cardiology looked at how COVID-19 can affect the heart.
LOS ANGELES – In a study published in September, Ohio State University researchers found that out of more than two dozen university athletes who tested positive for COVID-19, 30% had cellular heart damage and 15% had signs of heart inflammation. caused by a condition. known as myocarditis.
After researchers mapped the hearts of 26 Ohio State University athletes through a process known as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), researchers found that not only 15% of students have the rare heart condition, but that 30% have cellular damage.
“Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging has the potential to identify a high-risk group for adverse outcomes, and may, more importantly, risk athletes stratifying for safe participation,” authors of the study wrote. “Recent studies have raised concerns about myocardial inflammation following recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), even in asymptomatic or slightly symptomatic patients.”
According to researchers, “myocarditis is a major cause of sudden cardiac death in competitive athletes.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, myocarditis is usually caused by a viral infection with symptoms ranging from chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, to a negative impact on heart rate and rhythm, as seen in conditions such as arrhythmias.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tweeted on September 17: ‘Heart conditions such as myocarditis are associated with some cases of # COVID-19. Severe heart damage is rare, but has even occurred in young, healthy people. ‘
Medical experts have previously warned the public about the link between the new coronavirus and heart damage, especially in young people.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health explained that COVID-19 mostly affects the lungs as it is a respiratory disease, but that damage to the lungs can cause serious heart complications.
Because the heart needs oxygen to function properly, COVID-19 can damage the lungs, preventing enough oxygen from reaching the heart muscle and further restricting oxygen to other important tissues in the body.
A separate report by a group of American doctors published in the medical journal JACC warned about the possibility of heart damage in children due to the new coronavirus.
The report sets out the case of a 2-month-old baby diagnosed with COVID-19 and experiencing a myocardial injury, as well as a type of heart failure that is most common in adults.
“Most children with Covid-19 are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, but our case shows the possibility of reversible myocardial (heart) injury in infants,” said Dr Madhu Sharma, lead author of the report.
In a news release published on December 2, the group of doctors said the baby was recovering with normal heart function and was eventually discharged without medication for heart failure.
“The presentation and clinical course of this patient reflect four case reports of acute myocardial injury reported in adults with COVID-19,” Sharma said.
Another study published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine on June 25 found that COVID-19 is also known to cause inflammatory reactions in the body, which can negatively affect a person’s heart and brain function.
According to the study, researchers observed SARS-CoV-2 infecting human heart cells grown from stem cells in a laboratory. Within 72 hours after infection, the virus managed to spread and replicate and kill the heart cells.
The researchers highlighted the particularly worrying possibility that if COVID-19 could infect the heart cells in a laboratory, it could potentially infect the specific organs, causing the need for a “heart-specific antiviral drug screening program”.