As compared to the general population, people with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are more than twice as likely to contract severe forms of COVID-19. CVD remains a major predictor of poor outcome in patients with Covid.
Health conditions, like diabetes, increase risk of severe COVID-19 by suppressing the immune system; others, like asthma, increase risk by weakening the lungs.
Pre-existing heart conditions, such as damaged heart muscle or blocked heart arteries, weaken the body’s ability to survive the stress of the illness. A person with a vulnerable heart is more likely to succumb to the effects of fever, low oxygen levels, unstable blood pressures, and blood clotting disorders — all possible consequences of COVID-19 — than someone previously healthy.
HOW COVID AFFECTS HEART
SARS-CoV-2 virus can damage the heart in several ways.
1) Heart injury, which may be measured by elevated levels of the enzyme troponin in the bloodstream, has been detected in about one-quarter of patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 illness.Inflammation of the heart muscle, called myocarditis, typically occurs only in patients with advanced COVID-19 disease. Myocarditis can result from direct heart invasion by the virus itself, or more commonly by inflammation caused by cytokine storm. When this occurs, the heart may become enlarged and weakened, leading to low blood pressure and fluid in the lungs.
2) Heart damage is most often caused by heart attacks, which result from the formation of a blood clot in a vulnerable heart artery, blocking delivery of oxygen to the heart muscle. COVID-19-related inflammation raises the risk of this type of heart attack by activating the body’s clotting system and disrupting the blood vessel lining. When inflamed, this lining loses its ability to resist clot formation. These blood clots in the large and small arteries of the heart cut off its supply of oxygen. The increased clotting tendency can also lead to blood clots in the lungs, which can cause a drop in blood oxygen levels.
LOWERING RISKS
People with CVD who adopt healthy behaviors can strengthen their defenses against COVID-19 while also reducing the long-term risk from cardiovascular disease itself.
This means plenty of physical activity and following a healthy diet. Cook at home when you can, and walk outdoors with friends if your gym is temporarily closed. Purchase an inexpensive and easy-to-use monitor to measure your blood pressure at home. And continue to follow safety guidelines to wear masks, physically distance, and avoid large gatherings.
PATIENTS WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE , especially in those whose congenital defects have not been surgically corrected, may be at a higher risk of complications if affected by COVID-19, as their blood circulation has already been compromised.
PEOPLE WOTH PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE (PAD) are at increased risk of complications from COVID-19 because many of these people also have diabetes and heart disease, which are among the more critical underlying conditions that worsen COVID-19 infection outcomes.