Because the Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 is only jumped recently on the people, learn to virologists and medical professionals in the course of the current pandemic more about his behavior and the medical consequences of the infection. It seems clear, however, that the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions such as Diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers or disorders of cerebral circulation have a higher risk of severe course of the disease and also more likely to Covid-19 die. In most of these patients, a severe inflammation of the lungs, which then leads to respiratory distress and death develops.
notes on acute heart muscle damage
However, there are now also indications that the Covid disease, acute damage to the heart muscle can cause. In several studies it has been demonstrated that in patients with severe cases of the Coronavirus infection was often increased a Biomarker in the blood, the of damaged and dying heart muscle cells is released.
doctors consider this as an indication that the virus infection that attacks the heart – the means by which, however, is still unknown. In theory, the Virus itself may contribute to these injuries, are possible and quite likely that the infection-induced inflammatory processes and immune reactions for these damages are responsible.
Also of viruses that are related to the current Coronavirus, Sars-CoV-2 closely, such as Sars-CoV and Mers-CoV, cases are known in which acute heart damage occurred. In the case of the Sars epidemic in 2003, a study had found with 75 Sars patients, that two out of five of the disease is an acute heart attack died that was about it. Also, disturbances of cardiac rhythm occurred as Mohammad Madjid of the University of Texas, author of a new study in the journal “JAMA Cardiology” reported on this topic.
In a study from Italy, researchers report Riccardo Inciardi of the University of Brescia from the case of a healthy 53-year-old woman who had been infected with Sars-CoV-2, and first of all, the classic symptoms of dry cough and fever developed. About a week after the onset of symptoms, a strong depletion with circulatory problems, which was so pronounced, that they went to the hospital developed with her. There she was tested positive for Covid and in the cardiology paid.
investigations revealed that the patients showed clear signs of acute Myocarditis – an inflammation of the heart muscle. “This case underlines, that the heart as a complication of Covid-may be 19 affected, even without clear symptoms and no pneumonia”, reports Inciardi and his colleagues. Similarly, it also looks Madjid: “It is likely that the heart muscle even in the absence of a previous heart caused disease caused by the Coronavirus and the disease is affected.”
“A Wake-up call”
in order to indicate seems that the Covid disease calls not only respiratory symptoms, and the infection-related inflammatory reactions, but also the heart can attack. Recent studies from China show that in this case, the risk of death of patients increased significantly.
a Team led by Shaobo Shi of the Wuhan University on the Basis of 416 patients reported that nearly 20 percent of these patients have evidence of myocardial damage. The Affected had to die had a significantly higher risk of Covid-19 – you were there-half, while of the patients without elevated Troponin values and other evidence of damage to the heart muscle died, only 4.5 per cent. A further study with 187 patients showed Similar: they identified a mortality of 59.6 percent in people with indicators for heart muscle damage, and those with normal Troponin levels in the blood of 8.9 percent died.
“it is Noteworthy that, although the highest mortality rates were observed in the patients with high Troponin levels and cardiovascular pre-existing conditions have had,” writes Robert Bonow of Northwestern University in an accompanying Editorial in “JAMA Cardiology”. “But the mortality rates was also significantly increased troponin values without such pre-existing conditions.” It is still not clear which specific mechanisms and relationships behind this effect. “But the Wake-up call sounds,” says Bonow.
sources:
- Mohammad Madjid et al., JAMA Cardiology, doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2020.1286
- Riccardo Inciardi et al., doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2020.1096
- Shaobo Shi et al., doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2020.0950
- Bonow et al., JAMA Cardiology, doi: 10.1001/jamacardio.2020.1105
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