COVID-19 linked to later heart problems - even for milder cases

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-02-08 10:19

International

Photo by CRobina Weermejie on Unsplash

COVID-19 infections may significantly increase a person’s risk of heart disease for at least one year after recovery, even if the infection itself did not land them in hospital. According to an analysis of large healthcare datasets in the US, people who contracted the virus were significantly more likely to suffer from dysrhythmias, ischemic and non-ischemic heart disease, pericarditis, myocarditis, heart failure and thromboembolic disease than people who avoided infection. Researchers note that ongoing mutations and increases in vaccine uptake over time could affect future risk levels.

Media release

From:

Journal/
conference: Nature Medicine

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: VA St. Louis Health Care System, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Funder: This research was funded by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (to Z.A.-A.) and two American Society of Nephrology and KidneyCure fellowship awards (to Y.X. and B.B.). The contents do not represent the views of the US Department of Veterans Affairs or the US government.

Media Contact/s

Contact details are only visible to registered journalists.