Mild COVID-19 infection unlikely to cause long-term damage to heart functioning: Study

According to research conducted by UCL (University College London) researchers, which was led by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Barts Charity, a mild COVID-19 infection is unlikely to cause long-term damage to the structure or function of the heart. 

The findings, reported in JACC Cardiovascular Imaging, should reassure the public, according to the researchers, since they pertain to the vast majority of people who had COVID-19 infections with mild or no symptoms. 

Research explains the impact of COVID-19 on heart functioning

This research, which included 149 healthcare workers from the Barts Health and Royal Free London NHS Trusts, is the largest and most comprehensive analysis of mild COVID-19 infection and its long-term effects on the heart to date.

It comes after fears that mild Covid-19 infections, which have been linked to blood clots, heart inflammation, and heart damage in hospitalised patients, may have similar consequences. However, until now, there has been little research explicitly focused on this community of people and the long-term effects of infection on the heart.

Attendees with mild COVID-19 were known from the COVIDsortium, a 16-week study in three London hospitals in which healthcare workers were given weekly blood, saliva, and nasal swabs. They examined heart structure and function six months after a mild infection by comparing heart MRI scans of 74 healthcare workers with prior mild COVID-19 infection to scans of 75 healthy individuals who had not previously been infected.

When the researchers looked at blood samples six months after a mild COVID-19 infection, they found no changes in troponin and NT-proBNP, two markers of heart muscle injury.

The team of researchers and cardiologists now believe that screening the hearts of people who have had a mild infection is ineffective and that studies should only concentrate on those who have had extreme COVID-19, high-risk population, or those that have persistent symptoms.

Mild symptomatic COVID patients have low risk of Heart disease: Study

Dr Thomas Treibel, UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science and Barts Health NHS Trust, explained, "Disentangling the impact Covid-19 has on the heart has been a challenge. But we're now at the stage of the pandemic where we can really start to get a grip on the longer-term implications Covid-19 has on the health of our heart and blood vessels."

"We've been able to capitalise on our incredible frontline staff who've been exposed to the virus this past year and we're pleased to show that the majority of people who've had Covid-19 seem to not be at increased risk of developing future heart complications. We now need to focus our attention on the long term impact the virus has on those who've been hit hardest by the disease."

Micro irregularities were discovered by MRI, but they were not observed more often in people with moderate COVID-19 than in those who had never had it. Anything other than coronavirus may have caused the changes, and they may not have made much of a difference to that person's health.

(with inputs from ANI)

Picture Credit: PTI/Pixabay