Mild COVID-19 infections not associated with long-term risk of heart damage
Patients do not face a long-term risk of myocarditis or other cardiovascular complications after a mild COVID-19 infection, according to new findings published in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.
“Recent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) studies have reported cardiac abnormalities after COVID-19 in up to 78% of patients, even after mild, nonhospitalized illness with evidence of ongoing myocardial inflammation in 60%,” wrote lead author George Joy, MBBS, of Barts Health NHS Trust in London, and colleagues. “Such a prevalence of chronic myocarditis after mild disease has prompted societal concerns in diverse domains and suggests that screening should be considered post–COVID-19, even in asymptomatic individuals. However, study design issues, concern that an isolated elevation of a parameter such as T1 or T2 is not disease, and errors requiring post-publication revision have stimulated further investigation, with particular focus on mild disease. Furthermore, autopsy studies have suggested that myocarditis may not be as common as initially thought.”
To take a closer look at this topic, Joy et al. focused on data from 149 healthcare workers. While 74 workers were seropositive and had a prior mild COVID-19 diagnosis, 75 were seronegative and used as matched control subjects. The group had a mean age of 37 years old, and 58% were women.
Six months after their COVID-19 infection, the 74 seropositive participants—and the 75 seronegative participants—all underwent blood testing and CMR scans. Overall, the authors found, mild COVID-19 did not make a significant impact on left ventricular structure or function, scar burden, aortic stiffness or serum biomarkers. Any cardiac issues seen in the blood work or imaging results were seen equally among seropositive and seronegative study participants.
“This study demonstrates that in healthy people, measured cardiovascular abnormalities are common, but no more common in those who had had mild SARS-CoV-2 six months previously compared with those who had not,” the authors wrote.
The group also emphasized that, based on their own results, there is no reason to screen asymptomatic individuals following a mild COVID-19 diagnosis. As important as it is for researchers to learn as much as they can about COVID-19, they said, “this study suggests such research should focus on patients with acute infections or following severe hospitalized disease.”
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Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.