So you’ve had COVID but are lucky enough to have recovered. As far as you know you have no lingering side-effects. Looks like you’ve been able to avoid symptoms of long COVID, too. You’re in the clear! Or are you? Perhaps not, according to new research from the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Southern California.
The study suggests that people who have had COVID have an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and even death. The good news, if it can be described as such, is the increased risk is not a lifelong affair. The study suggests the elevated risk lasts up to three years after the COVID diagnosis.
On the other hand, in percentage terms, the increase is not just a slight one. According to the study, the risk doubles.
COVID and heart attack risk by the numbers
For the study, the researchers accessed the data from the used UK Biobank. The data was sourced from 10,005 people who had COVID-19 between February to December 2020. A further 217,730 people who did not get infected in that period also had their data incorporated.
A statistical crunching of those numbers revealed that people with any type of COVID infection were twice as likely to have a major cardiac event, such as heart attack, stroke or even death, for up to three years after diagnosis.
The study also found the severity of the COVID episode was linked to the amount by which the risk increased. It identified a significantly higher risk for patients hospitalised for COVID. In fact the numbers indicated COVID as more of a determinant than a previous history of heart disease.
The researchers also found that the risk varied by blood type. Those with type A, B or AB were twice as likely as those with type O blood to experience a cardiovascular event post-infection.
This correlation may have important implications, said co-senior study author Dr Stanley Hazen. “The association … indicates a potential interaction between the virus and the piece of our genetic code that determines blood type,” he said. This in turn indicates a need for further investigation,” said Dr Hazen. “A better understanding of what COVID-19 does at the molecular level may potentially teach us about pathways linked to cardiovascular disease risk.”
A double-edged reminder
It’s important to remember, of course, that the phrase ‘double the risk’ can sound pretty scary unless you understand the context. If your risk of dying is 0.0000001 per cent and an adverse health event results in it doubling it becomes 0.0000002 per cent. That’s still a minuscule probability.
Then again, why expose yourself to an increased risk, no matter how small? The new study serves as a reminder that COVID is still very much part of our lives. Staying up to date with your COVID vaccines will help you eliminate, or at least minimise, any increase in risk.
A final quote from Dr Hazen sums up the situation well. “Worldwide over a billion people have already experienced COVID-19. The findings reported are not a small effect in a small subgroup.”
Have you had COVID? Has it resulted in any lasting side-effects or other negative health outcomes? Let us know via the comments section below.
Also read: New government initiatives launched for long COVID sufferers
Disclaimer: This article contains general information about health issues and is not advice. For health advice, consult your medical practitioner.
