Over the years, the findings have shown that the severity of COVID-19 disease was inversely proportional to an individual’s overall health. This suggests that improving heart health may reduce the risk of death from this disease. Hypertension increases your risk of developing severely debilitating conditions associated with this new coronavirus.
However, heart disease is not the only factor at play here. The severity of hypertension-related conditions varies from person to person. It varies depending on which specific bodily tissues are affected by it – but there are things you can do to reduce your hypertensive risks if such a severe condition as COVID-19 has already begun afflicting you.
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A study by Dr Harrison:
COVID-19 infection has been shown to exacerbate pre-existing heart conditions in some individuals. Earlier studies have demonstrated that patients admitted to healthcare facilities with heart disease are more likely to succumb to complications arising from COVID-19.
Dr Harrison, the author of Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), suggests that Health care providers and policymakers should consider that strategies that improve cardiovascular health may positively impact the outcome of people following COVID-19.
Research with the help of reviews:
A quite sizable number of studies and reviews have been conducted in recent years to put the linking of cardiovascular disease as a result of COVID-19 into perspective. The aim of this study, commissioned by Public Health England, was to conduct yet another review that looked at a collection of thoughts – known as a “review of reviews” – to address these two questions:
◆ If there is an association between cardiac risk factors or coronary heart diseases with complications in patients taking COVID-19 and
◆ Also, to determine the impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health.
The study investigated and concluded that those with a higher risk of cardiac complications had other major health issues that had worse outcomes from COVID-19. For example, heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease or stroke are related to a higher risk for cardiac complications. High blood pressure, heart disease, smoking, and other chronic conditions were among the top contributors to COVID-19 in CVD patients.
Obesity was associated with an 86% higher risk of death due to COVID-19, while diabetes was responsible for a 73% increase. In comparison, when comparing smokers to non-smokers, after taking these factors into account, the odds of being hospitalized due to COVID-19 were nearly four times as high among smokers as among non- smokes.
As per Dr. Harrison, author of Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC): “A possible explanation may be that cardiovascular disease or its risk factors might somehow change pathways in the body which affect our ability to respond to viruses.”
She noted that the research relied on observational studies – in other words, it observed trends between different variables but wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or not one factor caused another. In addition, there was limited or no evidence to indicate causality between alcohol consumption, cholesterol levels, irregular heart rhythms and diet, physical activity, dementia and COVID-19 response.
The findings of the reviews:
The reviews found that the following cardiovascular complications occurred in patients hospitalized with COVID-19: pulmonary embolism (19%), venous thromboembolism (25% of patients), deep vein thrombosis (7%, arrhythmias (18%), myocardial injuries (10%), angina pectoris (10%), myocardial infarction from a transmural myocardial infarction which is just an MI with no significant wall damage occurring as a result of ischemia, which was 4% and acute heart failure(2%).
Dr Harrison’s view on the findings:
An influenza pandemic occurred around the time of the book’s release. In this, Dr Harrison points out that in early epidemics, some concerns were raised about C-19 causing cardiovascular complications or exacerbating existing heart disease due to previous knowledge from influenza outbreaks and epidemics of other respiratory viruses. This study indicates that these initial concerns were proven correct, and it is now evident that these early concerns were valid.
She expressed concern that people with heart disease could be at increased risk of complications in a COVID-19 pandemic. It had been found that patients in early outbreaks of COVID-19 were at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications. This caused Dr Harrison to conclude that there may be a need for more intense treatment and monitoring for heart disease patients.
Conclusion:
To put it in writing, Taking care of yourself is important to ensure your health. Many cardiovascular risk factors are modifiable, meaning that you can change them. Knowing what they are and being aware of how they can negatively affect your body will help prevent any diseases or illnesses before they happen. More research is needed on the long-term implications of COVID-19 on the human heart, and more research is urgently required to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on the heart.