Understanding heart health is always important. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, patients with underlying heart problems tended to be more likely to get sicker or require hospitalization. While the virus is most often associated with its impact on the lungs, the effect of COVID and heart issues that result are necessary to be aware of.
“Patients that have cardiovascular disease are more than twice as likely to get severe illness and end up intubated in the ICU,” says Zachary Dowdy, MD, a cardiologist at Bon Secours Upstate Cardiology. “These patients often have comorbidities like diabetes and obesity, which can increase your risk of blood clots and inflammation. So, you add a condition that already increases your risk of those things to a virus like COVID-19 that does the same thing, it creates a higher risk situation.”
The risk of heart issues after a COVID-19 infection
The American Heart Association (AHA) says a growing number of studies suggest many people with COVID-19 may also experience some type of heart damage, even if they didn’t have underlying heart disease and weren’t sick enough to be hospitalized.
“COVID-19 can impact the heart directly and indirectly,” Dr. Dowdy continues. “For starters, you can see an over-reaction by your immune system – which happens in about 5 percent of patients – in which you basically develop a cytokine storm of these inflammatory substances that can damage the heart.”
Dowdy says the virus can also indirectly injure the heart muscles by creating a supply and demand mismatch.
“Oftentimes, your heart rate increases and your blood pressure decreases when your body has an infection, which can cause a lot of extra work for your heart and also result in injury.”
Other risk factors with COVID and heart issues
When the body responds to the virus, it creates inflammation. While an appropriate reaction to fighting a virus, the inflammation becomes too much and can damage the heart or disrupt electrical signals that help it beat properly. This can cause an arrhythmia, which is an abnormal heart rhythm. If you already have an arrhythmia, it can get worse.
Research has found that COVID-19 also increases the risk of blood clots, which can lead to additional problems, such as heart attacks or strokes.
“If you get those in your lungs, it decreases your oxygen levels and blood pressure, putting a lot of strain on the heart. You can also get clots in the arteries that supply the heart, and that can lead to a heart attack,” Dr. Dowdy shares.
Those recovering from COVID-19 are warned to monitor themselves for the same warning signs and symptoms that heart patients have been told to watch out for: chest pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations or leg swelling.
How we can help
Understanding the connection between COVID and heart issues is one factor in protecting yourself if you do contract the virus. However, Dr. Dowdy emphasizes that the most important things to remember are to keep in communication with your health care provider and don’t be afraid to seek care.
“It’s important to keep any check-up appointments, but also realize that once the visit’s over, you shouldn’t have radio silence,” Dr. Dowdy says. “With e-visits becoming more commonplace, it’s easy to establish a constant line of communication and stay in touch with your physician – whether that’s your primary care provider or your cardiologist. Reach out so we can help answer questions and address any concerns – whether that’s how to resume a safe exercise routine or talk through some of those warning symptoms.”
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Learn more about the heart and vascular services as well as the primary care services we offer at Bon Secours.
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