DLnews Health:

According to researchers, even a mild corona infection adversely affects heart health.

Alarmingly, the latest findings also apply to young people.

The extent to which Covid-19 damages the lungs and airways has now been thoroughly researched. Comparatively new is the finding that Corona apparently has a lasting effect on heart health - with potentially permanent consequences. This is reported by recent studies and two researchers from Columbia University in their presentation at the 67th Annual Biophysical Society Meeting in San Diego, California. They were able to show how an infection damages the heart.

55 percent more likely to have heart problems

According to a research release, previous studies have indicated that people with an infection have a 55 percent higher risk of developing heart problems. These include heart attacks, strokes, cardiac arrhythmias or heart muscle inflammation. Such cases were already observed at the pandemic's beginning. And: Deaths from heart attacks rose sharply with each new wave – especially among the 25- to 44-year-olds, a typically low-risk demographic. How does this happen? This is precisely the question that cardiologist Prof. Andrew Marks and his colleague Dr. Steven Reiken in their investigations by examining heart tissue from deceased patients. They noticed anomalies.

How Corona changes the heartbeat

The team observed increased oxidative stress (harmful production of unstable molecules) and increased inflammatory signals. Also, changes in calcium, specifically adverse changes in a protein called RyR2, regulate the heart's calcium ion levels. All muscles, including the heart muscles, depend on calcium to contract. Muscle cells store calcium and release it when needed. So without calcium, there is no heartbeat. However, the channel remains open for some diseases like heart failure. This depletes calcium stores and ultimately weakens the muscle, which negatively affects the heartbeat and causes arrhythmias. Incidentally, an unusually rapid heartbeat is common in those who have recovered. And indeed, the two researchers were able to identify the aforementioned dysregulations in the deceased corona patients.

Studies on the mouse model confirmed the suspicion.

To further study the effects of Corona on heart health, Marks and Reik's infected mice with the coronavirus. They also observed changes in heart tissue in the rodents, including immune cell infiltration, collagen deposition (indicative of injury), heart cell death and blood clots. In addition, they found patterns that matched the infected human hearts, including markers for cardiomyopathy. These make it harder for the heart to pump blood around the body, which can eventually lead to heart failure.

Corona and heart health must be thought of together.

The two researchers hope their findings have brought them closer to solving the "corona puzzle." Marks concludes, "The more awareness we create about certain aspects of a disease, the more likely it is that patient care will improve. And physicians should be aware of and purposefully look for the heart changes associated with COVID-19 infections." 

Source: Biophysical Society (2023). How COVID-19 can impact the heart (accessed February 20, 2023)