Several devastating complications of Covid-19 are cardiac in nature and may result in lingering cardiac dysfunction beyond the course of the viral illness itself, said Mitchell Elkind, president of the American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary organisation focussed on heart and brain health and research, Health Newstrack reported.

Mitchell added that people think Covid-19’s primary target is the lungs as much remains to be learned about its effects on the heart.

“The need for additional research remains critical. We simply don’t have enough information to provide the definitive answers people want and need,” he said.

“It does not look like cardiovascular disease makes people more likely to get the virus,” said Dr Elkind, adding, “it’s more that it makes the course of it potentially worse.”

According to the American Heart Association, almost a quarter (23 per cent) of people hospitalised for Covid-19 have experienced serious cardiovascular complications.

Studies cited in the Health Newstrack revealed that 8 per cent to 12 per cent of all Covid-19 patients have acute cardiac injury.

There are also case studies that indicate Covid-19 case may lead to heart attacks, acute coronary syndromes, stroke, blood pressure abnormalities, clotting issues, diffuse myocarditis (heart muscle inflammation) and fatal arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats).

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