Analysis of 37 Studies Shows That Long COVID Patients Are More Likely to Experience Cardiovascular Symptoms

A new meta-analysis of 37 studies suggests that “those with long COVID are much more likely to experience chest pain, heart palpitations, and high blood pressure than their uninfected counterparts.” CIDRAP has the news.

The studies cumulatively involved around 3 million people. The researchers wrote that evidence indicates that “COVID-19 may lead to post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) with cardiovascular implications, potentially driven by factors such as ACE2 interaction with viruses, systemic inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction.”

Nearly 15% of these long COVID patients experienced cardiovascular complications. The percentage of PACS patients “experiencing chest pain, palpitations, and high blood pressure were 22%, 18%, and 19%, respectively.”

The study authors wrote that “Clinicians should maintain vigilance in monitoring cardiovascular symptoms, even in patients without a prior history of cardiovascular disease, as cardiovascular sequelae can emerge in previously healthy individuals following COVID-19.” Patients with pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors should be more intensively monitored, perhaps using “advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, [which] may help detect early signs of cardiovascular dysfunction and improve long-term outcomes.” Further research is still required due to the “high heterogeneity” seen in the analysis.