COVID-19 survivors face double risk of severe cardiovascular diseases

Recent research has revealed alarming long-term cardiovascular risks for individuals who have recovered from COVID-19, particularly those who experienced hospitalisation.

Individuals with blood types A, B, or AB are especially susceptible, underscoring the importance of tailored strategies for heart health following COVID. A recent study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Southern California found that having a history of COVID-19 can double the likelihood of experiencing serious cardiac incidents, such as heart attacks, strokes, or death, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

The findings revealed that anyone infected with COVID-19 is twice as likely to face a major cardiac event within three years of their diagnosis, with this risk significantly heightened for those who were hospitalized—exceeding even the risks associated with prior heart disease.

Additional genetic research showed that individuals with non-O blood types (A, B, or AB) are at twice the risk of experiencing severe cardiovascular events post-COVID compared to those with type O blood. Published on October 9 in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, this research utilized UK Biobank data involving 10,005 individuals who had COVID-19 and 217,730 who did not, collected between February and December 2020. "Globally, over a billion people have already contracted COVID-19.

The findings we report reflect a significant impact that is not confined to a small subgroup," stated co-senior study author Stanley Hazen, M.D., Ph.D., chair of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute. "With nearly a quarter million participants included, these results underscore a critical healthcare issue that may lead to an increase in cardiovascular disease worldwide." Certain genetic variants are known to be associated with coronary artery disease, heart attacks, and COVID-19. The researchers conducted a genetic analysis to determine if these variants contributed to the heightened risk of coronary artery disease following COVID-19, but found no such links. Instead, the data pointed to an association between increased risk and blood type.

Previous studies have indicated that individuals with blood types A, B, or AB were also more prone to contracting COVID-19. "These findings demonstrate that, despite being primarily an upper respiratory infection, COVID-19 has far-reaching health implications," Dr. Hazen noted.

"This emphasizes the need to consider an individual's history of COVID-19 infection when developing cardiovascular disease prevention strategies." "The relationship identified in our research suggests a possible interaction between the virus and the genetic factors determining blood type, indicating a need for further study," Dr. Hazen added. "Understanding the molecular mechanisms of COVID-19 may provide insights into pathways linked to cardiovascular disease risk." Hooman Allayee, PhD, from USC’s Keck School of Medicine, who co-authored the paper, remarked, "Our data indicating that the risk of heart attacks and strokes is particularly elevated among COVID-19 patients with A, B, or AB blood types carries significant clinical implications. 

Given that 60 per cent of the global population has these non-O blood types, our findings raise crucial questions about the potential need for more proactive cardiovascular risk reduction strategies based on genetic profiles." The authors concluded that the long-term risks associated with COVID-19 "continue to present a substantial public health challenge," highlighting the necessity for further investigation.

By Naila Huseynova