November 13, 2024

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COVID-19 Infection Linked to Long-Term Increased Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

COVID-19 Infection Linked to Long-Term Increased Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke



COVID-19 Infection Linked to Long-Term Increased Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

A large-scale study has recently revealed that patients who contract COVID-19 face a significantly higher risk of heart attack and stroke over the next three years.

Published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology on Wednesday, the study analyzed medical records from around 250,000 individuals in the UK Biobank database.

Within this dataset, researchers identified 11,000 people who contracted COVID-19 in 2020, nearly 3,000 of whom required hospitalization due to severe infection.

 

COVID-19 Infection Linked to Long-Term Increased Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

 

When compared with 220,000 non-infected individuals from the same database, the study found that those who had contracted COVID-19 were twice as likely to experience a heart attack, stroke, or death in the three years following infection.

For patients who were hospitalized due to COVID-19, indicating more severe symptoms, the risk was even greater. These individuals were more than three times as likely to suffer from heart attacks and strokes compared to those who had never contracted the virus.

One of the most critical findings of the study is that for those hospitalized, COVID-19 seems to become a potential long-term risk factor for future heart attacks and strokes.

Dr. Stanley Hazen, one of the study’s authors and Chair of the Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences at the Cleveland Clinic, emphasized that the increased risk did not diminish over time. “This was a very surprising discovery,” Hazen said.

The researchers remain uncertain about why COVID-19 has such a lasting impact on the cardiovascular system. Early studies suggest that the virus can infect the cells lining blood vessels. Additionally, the virus has been detected in sticky plaques formed in arteries, which could rupture and lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Cardiologist Patricia Best from the Mayo Clinic commented that the findings are alarming and seem unique to COVID-19, referencing the long-term impact.

“We’ve long known that viral infections increase the risk of heart attack, whether it’s the flu or other types of infections,” Best explained. “However, with most infections, this risk typically subsides quickly after recovery. The effect of COVID-19 on the heart appears to be more persistent and more severe.”

The study also found that blood type may be a contributing factor, with certain non-O blood types (A, B, or AB) being associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease following infection. Among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, those with O blood type had a lower risk of heart attack and stroke compared to individuals with A, B, or AB blood types. However, this does not mean they are completely safe—they still face a heightened risk of cardiovascular events.

The study did not take into account the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on cardiovascular risk. However, Dr. Hazen believes that vaccines likely offer some protection, as they generally prevent severe symptoms in COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 Infection Linked to Long-Term Increased Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

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(source:internet, reference only)


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