“COVID-19 may spark cardiac trouble in multiple ways. It is an infectious pulmonary illness that causes stress on the heart in both healthy people and those with pre-existing heart disease,” said R. Sivakumar, Senior Consultant, Cardiology, Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre.
Speaking to the press ahead of World Heart Day, the doctor said people may experience heart damage that mimics heart attack even if their arteries do not have blockages. “This can occur when the heart muscle is starved of oxygen, which in the case of COVID-19, may be triggered by a mismatch between oxygen supply and demand,” he said.
A team of doctors from the hospital came together to discuss various precautions to be taken by patients with cardiovascular diseases. Senior Consultant M. Sampath Kumar said most COVID-19 positive patients recovered without any problem but a small number experience severe, exaggerated inflammation through the body known as a cytokine storm. “It affects the entire cardiovascular system at an advanced stage of the illness, leading to widespread blood clotting, organ failure or damage to the heart. Drug-related heart damage during COVID-19 treatment is also a concern. In particular, the use of antiviral drugs should be monitored,” he said.
Consultant cardiologist P. Jeyapandian said inflammation of the vascular system and injury to the heart appear to be common features of COVID-19, occurring in 20% to 30% of patients and contributing to 40% of deaths.
Senior Consultant N. Ganesan said 355 patients were admitted with heart ailments in the last three months of the lockdown, compared to 820 cases during the corresponding period last year. “Our data concurs with European and American heart surveys, both of which have shown a 50-60% reduction in cases of acute heart attack in their countries,” he said.
Commenting on a drop in the number of acute heart attack cases, Senior Consultant S. Selvamani said there could be a number of reasons. “Less stress due to staying at home, reduced air pollution, people not seeking hospital care for fear of the infection and absence of transport facility. However, there has also been a parallel increase in out-of-hospital sudden deaths during the lockdown, as patients delay seeking care after suffering a heart attack,” he said.
The doctors said patients with cardiovascular diseases must practise social distancing, wear face masks and wash hands regularly. They must take their medication, monitor their blood pressure in case of hypertension or heart failure and take advantage of telemedicine.
