• A new study has found that people are more at risk for various types of heart problems, including strokes, heart attacks, and heart failure, if they’ve had COVID-19.
• Researchers found that people who had contracted COVID-19 were 52 percent more likely to have a stroke, 63 percent more like to have a heart attack, and 72 percent more likely to experience heart failure.
• Regular checkups can help people with ongoing COVID-19 complications identify potential warning signs before they turn into more serious problems.

It’s long been known that COVID-19 can cause symptoms that affect the heart and blood vessels. A new study sheds more light on the heart-related risks associated with having COVID-19, including significantly higher risks of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure.

The study, published in Nature Medicine, highlights the importance of preventative care, including ongoing cardiovascular care, for people who have long COVID-19. Long COVID-19 is characterized by having ongoing symptoms that persist for three months or more.

“Long COVID can manifest as heart disease,” Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, senior author of the study, told myCOVIDteam. “This is very important to know.” Dr. Al-Aly is director of the Clinical Epidemiology Center and chief of the Research and Education Service at the VA Saint Louis Health Care System in Missouri.

In the study, researchers collected data from more than 153,000 U.S. veterans who had been diagnosed with COVID-19, as well as around 10 million veterans who had not been infected. The researchers looked for heart and blood vessel problems that occurred more than one month after infection.

Higher Rates for Heart Attack, Stroke, and More

The study showed that, in the long term, people who had been infected with COVID-19 were:

• 52 percent more likely to experience a stroke
• 63 percent more likely to have a heart attack
• 69 percent more likely to have disorders that lead to abnormal heart rhythms, such as atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, or bradycardia
• 85 percent more likely to have inflammatory heart disease (swelling of the heart or surrounding tissues)
• 72 percent more likely to experience heart failure

These and other heart problems were more likely to occur in people who had spent time in the hospital or intensive care unit (ICU) for COVID-19, the researchers found. However, they also appeared at higher rates in people who did not need hospitalization, compared to people who had never been diagnosed with COVID-19.

COVID-19 Is a Cardiovascular Risk Factor

“We all need to start thinking of COVID as a cardiovascular risk factor,” Dr. Al-Aly told myCOVIDteam. “People need to be cared for with this in mind. People who have signs or symptoms of heart problems (chest pain or tightness, palpitations, leg swelling, etc.) should consult their doctor.”

Those who have had COVID-19 can lower their risk of experiencing serious health problems by staying on top of their health care. Regular checkups and recommended screenings can help prevent complications or catch problems early before they become more serious.

If you've had COVID-19, it’s important to visit a primary care provider on an ongoing basis. Ask for their recommendations about any other tests or appointments you may need, as well as any new vaccinations, treatments, or preventative measures that may help you if you do come down with COVID-19. Doing so now may decrease your risk of developing one of the heart conditions later, the authors noted.