​Is COVID-19 infection linked to heart attacks?

COVID-19 cases are on the surge in India, with 7131 active cases according to data on the Ministry of Health's Covid dashboard. Kerala, Gujarat, West Bengal, and Maharashtra are among the states with the highest number of cases. Taking precautionary measures is crucial to prevention. COVID-19 is linked to many long-term health risks, and a recent study has found that it may significantly raise the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death from any cause for up to three years.

According to a study published in the American Heart Association’s peer-reviewed journal ATVB, COVID-19 infection appeared to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke for up to 3 years later. The risk was higher among people with A, B, or AB blood types, compared to type O.

The researchers analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults in the UK Biobank to understand the link between COVID-19 infection and cardiovascular diseases. They compared it with over 200,000 individuals who had no history of COVID-19. The study focused on cases from 2020 before vaccines were available, so none of the participants were vaccinated at the time of infection.

“We found a long-term cardiovascular health risk associated with COVID, especially among people with more severe COVID-19 cases that required hospitalization. This increased risk of heart attack and stroke continued three years after COVID-19 infection. Remarkably, in some cases, the increased risk was almost as high as having a known cardiovascular risk factor such as Type 2 diabetes or peripheral artery disease,” lead author James Hilser, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, said in a statement.

The researchers found that the risk of heart attack, stroke and death was more than two times higher among adults who had COVID-19, and nearly four times greater among adults hospitalized with COVID-19, compared to the ones who had no history of the infection. These findings were revealed during the nearly 3-year follow-up period.

The study found that people who were hospitalized with COVID-19, without cardiovascular disease or without Type 2 diabetes, had a 21% greater risk of heart attack, stroke, and death compared to people with cardiovascular disease and without COVID-19 infection.

The researchers also found that there was a genetic interaction among the non-O blood types and hospitalization for COVID-19. Those with severe COVID-19 infection had an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. But this risk was even higher in people who had non-O blood types, such as blood types A, B, or AB. Non-O blood types had a 65% higher risk of heart attack and stroke compared to those who had type O blood.

“Worldwide, over a billion people have already experienced COVID-19 infection. The findings reported are not a small effect in a small subgroup. The results included nearly a quarter million people and point to a finding of global health care importance that may translate into an explanation for a rise in cardiovascular disease around the world,” co-author Stanley Hazen, M.D., Ph.D., added.