Anyone who has tested positive for Covid could be at a higher risk of developing 20 dangerous cardiovascular health conditions, a new study has found. Research published in Nature Medicine warns that people who catch coronavirus are at risk of suffering a stroke, heart failure, angina and cardiac arrest, among other conditions - even if they don't have severe symptoms.
The study suggests, meanwhile, that those who are or have been hospitalised due to the virus are at an even higher risk of developing further health problems.
Researchers analysed data from more than 11 million US veterans, including 154,000 who had Covid, and estimated the risks within a year for the 20 diseases. Findings showed that those who had tested positive a year before were at significantly higher risk of the conditions, compared to those who had not been infected. The risk then increased the more serious their case was.
It was found that people who had Covid faced a 72% higher risk of heart failure after 12 months, while around 45 more people per 1,000 (4.5%) went on to develop any of the 20 conditions, compared to those uninfected.
Ziyad Al-Aly, the senior study author and chief of research at the VA St Louis Health Care System, said: “We found an increased risk of cardiovascular problems in old people and in young people, in people with diabetes and without diabetes, in people with obesity and people without obesity, in people who smoked and who never smoked.
“What really worries me is that some of these conditions are chronic conditions that will literally scar people for a lifetime. It’s not like you wake up tomorrow and suddenly no longer have heart failure.”
What are the 20 conditions?
- TIA
- Atrial fibrillation
- Sinus tachycardia
- Sinus bradycardia
- Ventricular arrhythmias
- Atrial flutter
- Pericarditis
- Myocarditis
- Acute coronary disease
- Myocardial infarction
- Ischemic cardiomyopathy
- Angina
- Heart failure
- Non-ischemic cardiomyopathy
- Cardiac arrest
- Cardiogenic shock
- Pulmonary embolism
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Superficial vein thrombosis
What the research doesn't show, however, is if Covid vaccines have an impact on the figures - as the research period ended before jabs were rolled out. Several studies have since shown that the Omicron variant of coronavirus is generally milder than other strains, particularly among those who have been vaccinated.
Health experts continue to state that vaccines offer the best form of protection against the virus, with recent data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) showing that booster jabs significantly reduce the risk of death with Omicron.
Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at UKHSA, said: “The evidence is clear – the vaccine helps to protect us all against the effects of Covid-19 and the booster is offering high levels of protection from hospitalisation and death in the most vulnerable members of our society.
“The pandemic is not over yet and the vaccine is the best way to increase your protection against the serious consequences of this virus – please book your appointment for your first, second or third vaccine without delay.”
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