- Coronavirus can damage the heart, according to a major new study that found abnormalities in heart function in more than half of patients who had scans.
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The new findings are significant because they add to a growing field of evidence that suggests that the coronavirus damages not only the heart but other major organs as well.
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The research, based on data from 69 countries, found that 55% of 1,261 scanned patients had abnormally functioning hearts.
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About one in seven patients who were scanned showed ‘severe abnormalities’ that would likely have a significant impact on their chances of survival and recovery.
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According to a major new study, more than half of coronavirus patients who received a heart scanner in hospitals demonstrated “abnormalities” in their heart function. It adds to the growing evidence that COVID-19 causes unusually excessive blood clotting, which can damage organs throughout the body.
New research based on data from 69 countries, published in the European Heart Journal and commissioned by the British Heart Foundation, found that 55% of 1,261 scanned patients had abnormally functioning hearts.
About one in seven patients who were scanned showed “severe abnormalities” that would likely have a significant impact on their chances of survival and recovery.
The majority, 901 patients, of those with abnormally functioning hearts, had not demonstrated heart problems before, leading the authors of the report to conclude that the coronavirus is responsible for causing heart problems.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Edinburgh’s British Heart Foundation Research Center of Excellence, emphasized that the study was limited only to people who doctors had reason to believe had heart abnormalities in the first place.
The new findings are significant because they add to a growing field of evidence suggesting that the coronavirus damages not only the heart but also other major organs, which appear to stem from blood clotting.
A growing body of evidence has mapped unusual blood clotting in COVID-19 patients, leading to strokes, heart failure, pulmonary embolisms, and “COVID toes.” The finding offered a possible explanation for why there has been a higher death rate from COVID-19 among people with underlying heart conditions.
The heart has to work harder in coronavirus patients because the virus causes inflammation and fluid buildup in the lungs, The Guardian reported. This can cause the heart to fail or its tissue to become damaged, while in some cases the virus can directly infect muscle tissue.
Professor Marc Dweck, a consultant cardiologist at the University of Edinburgh who helped lead the research, said: “COVID-19 is a complex, multi-system disease that can have profound effects on many parts of the body, including the heart. Many doctors have doubted ordering echocardiograms for COVID-19 patients because it’s an additional procedure that involves close contact with patients. Our work shows that these scans are important: they improved treatment for a third of the patients who received them. “
“Heart damage is known to occur in severe influenza, but we were surprised to see so many patients with heart damage with COVID-19 and so many patients with severe dysfunction. Now we need to understand the exact mechanism of this damage, whether it is reversible and what are the long-term consequences of COVID-19 infection on the heart. “
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