THE ESSENTIAL
- People who contracted the virus early in the pandemic had an increased risk of developing a cardiovascular disorder within a year of infection
- The disorders observed in the study were of all types: arrhythmias (heart rhythm disorder), thromboses (occurrence of blood clots), pulmonary embolisms, cerebrovascular accident (CVA), coronary artery disease, heart failure and myocardial infarction.
- The study did not concern patients infected with the Delta and Omicron variants which appeared following the follow-up period.
A link between Covid-19 and cardiac complications has been established by American researchers. The study, published in the journal Nature on February 7, in particular, reports a 52% increase in the risk of stroke in the year following infection
Cardiac arrests 2.5% more frequent
We knew that the coronavirus affected the cardiovascular system, we now know more regarding the manifestations and the characteristic risks developed by people with Covid-19.
A large study was conducted in the United States among 150,000 American army veterans infected a month or even a year earlier and having survived the thirty days following the infection. It reveals a 52% increased risk for stroke, 72% for heart failure and 193% for pulmonary embolism. Cardiac arrests are 2.5% more frequent.
A probable increase in cardiovascular disease worldwide
These figures are observable in all categories of patients including those with no history of cardiovascular disorders, which suggests a significant increase in cardiovascular disease worldwide, according to the researchers. Indeed, the infected veterans were compared to a group of more than 5.6 million people over the same period: between March 1, 2020 and January 15, 2021 and to another control group of more than 5.8 million. patients followed before the pandemic, between March 2018 and January 2019.
The importance of getting vaccinated
Most veterans had not been vaccinated prior to infection – vaccines only being available at the end of the follow-up period. The researcher Ziyad Al-Aly who coordinated the results of the study, recalls in The worldthe importance of vaccination, which does not lead to an increase in cardiovascular risk.
