September 28, 2023 – COVID-19 may increase the chance of heart attack and stroke by infecting the center's arteries and causing inflammation of fatty plaques within the arteries, based on a brand new study.
The results were financed by the National Institutes of Health and published within the magazine Nature cardiovascular research.
The information could make clear why some individuals with COVID-19 are at higher risk of developing heart problems or developing more heart-related complications in the event that they have already got it, based on the NIH.
“Since the early days of the pandemic, we have known that people who have had COVID-19 are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke for up to a year after infection,” said Michelle Olive of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a part of NIH. “We believe we have uncovered one of the reasons why.”
Previous research showed that SARS-CoV-2 can directly infect brain and lung tissue. But doctors knew less about how the virus affects the coronary arteries.
“In the study, researchers focused on older people with fatty deposits known as atherosclerotic plaques who died from COVID-19,” NIH said. “However, because the researchers found that the virus infects and replicates in arteries regardless of the amount of plaque, the findings could have broader implications for anyone who has COVID-19.”
Olive said the study is “incredibly important” since it contributes to the greater body of information about COVID-19.
“This is just another study showing how the virus infects many cells and tissues throughout the body and causes inflammation,” she said. “Ultimately, this is information that will inform future research on both acute and long COVID.”