Study: Covid-19 May Increase the Risk of Heart Issues for Years

Since the early days of the pandemic, scientists have known that Covid-19 increases the risk of heart problems. A growing body of research now indicates that this risk can persist long after the infection has cleared, according to a new study.

Conducted by researchers from the University of Southern California and Cleveland Clinic, the study found that a Covid-19 infection doubles the risk of a major cardiovascular event for up to three years. Infections severe enough to require hospitalization were found to further increase the likelihood of heart-related issues, reports Xinhua, citing The New York Times.

David Goff, director of the Cardiovascular Sciences Division at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which funded the study, said, "A lot of people are at even greater risk of heart attack than they were before. And heart disease was already the leading cause of death globally before the pandemic. This is truly concerning."

Given the substantial evidence linking Covid-19 to heart inflammation, heart failure, arrhythmia, and other cardiovascular issues, experts suggest that doctors should closely examine patients' Covid history. 

Stanley Hazen, chair of the Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences at Cleveland Clinic and a co-author of the study, stated that individuals who experienced severe infections "should be considered at high risk for future cardiovascular events."