Covid-19 and Cardiovascular Disease, overview of the publications from March 2020

█ Review

DOI: 10.26430/CHUNGARICA.2020.50.2.83

Authors:
Apor Astrid
Semmelweis Egyetem, Városmajori Szív- és Érgyógyászati Klinika, Budapest

Summary

Globalization and the human population’s excessive travel favours the spread of microbes; global epidemics have presented a continuous threat over the last two decades. Many of the leading clinical journals (EHJ, JACC, JAMA, Nature, Lancet) have recently published articles regarding the relation of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Research suggests that patients with CVD are definitely more susceptible to the virus the clinical course is more severe, pulmonary complications appear with a higher frequency and the mortality rate is higher. Pre-existing cardiovascular diseases deteriorate and patients with no previous cardiovascular disease can also suffer from acute cardiac complications. In addition, pharmaceutical drugs used empirically in the treatment of COVID-19 might lead to cardiac side effects. There is a suspicion that similarly to previous coronavirus epidemics (SARS, MERS), infected patients might develop long-term cardiac and cardio-metabolic complications. There are currently 80 clinical studies exploring the different aspects of the disease and its possible treatment. Furthermore, it is under investigation whether the incidence and the clinical course of COVID-19 are different in patients taking ACEi/ARB medication.

ISSUE: CARDIOLOGIA HUNGARICA | 2020 | VOLUME 50, ISSUE 2

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