Covid-19 is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death in both the short and long term, new research shows. Compared to people who did not get sick with coronavirus, the likelihood of a Covid-19 patient dying was up to 81 times greater in the first three weeks of infection and remained up to five times greater 18 months after initial diagnosis.
The researchers, led by Professor Ian Wong of the University of Hong Kong, who published the paper in the European Society of Cardiology's journal Cardiovascular Research, analysed data on nearly 160,000 people with an average age of 66, with or without a diagnosis of Covid-19.
It was found that, compared with people without Covid-19, patients with coronavirus were about four times more likely to develop severe cardiovascular disease during the acute phase (up to 21 days after initial diagnosis of coronavirus) and 40% more likely after the acute phase (from day 22 onwards). Patients with severe Covid-19 were more likely to be diagnosed with severe cardiovascular disease, compared with mild cases of Covid-19. In general, Covid-19 patients were more likely - compared to non-Covid patients - to develop myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, heart failure, deep vein thrombosis, etc.
“Covid-19 patients were more likely to develop various cardiovascular disorders compared to those who were not infected with the virus, which may have contributed to their increased risk of death. The findings suggest that Covid-19 patients should be followed for at least one year after recovery from acute disease to diagnose potential cardiovascular complications of infection, which are part of the long Covid-19,” said Dr. Wong.
“Future research is needed to investigate the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccinations in reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease and death compared to unvaccinated people,” he added.
