In recent times, there has been a significant increase in deaths due to heart attacks. Experts are looking for the reasons for this sudden surge and now a new research has revealed shocking things. Studies show that coronavirus infection can permanently damage the heart, increasing the risk of heart attack in the future.
A new study published in the journal Circulation has found that coronavirus can damage the heart even without directly infecting heart tissue. Researchers studied the damage caused to the hearts of people with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a serious lung condition related to corona.
Dr. Michelle Olive, associate director of the Basic and Early Translational Research Program at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), says the research findings open up a new understanding of the relationship between acute lung injury and inflammation, which is a major risk factor for heart disease. Can give rise to problems.
What was the study on?
The researchers focused on immune cells known as cardiac macrophages, which normally play a key role in keeping tissue healthy but can become inflamed in response to injury such as heart failure or cardiac arrest. Researchers analyzed heart tissue samples from 21 patients who died of ARDS associated with SARS-CoV-2 and compared them with samples from 33 patients who died without COVID-19. They also infected mice with SARS-CoV-2 to find out what happened to macrophages after infection.
What did the authors of the study say?
Matthias Nahrendorf, professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School and senior author of the study, said that this study shows that after corona infection, the immune system can cause severe inflammation throughout the body and damage other organs and that the lung tissue is damaged by the virus. But this is apart from the direct damage caused. He further said, 'These findings can also be applied more widely because our results show that any serious infection can cause shock throughout the body.'
Effect of corona on heart
Corona can damage the heart in various ways, including myocardial injury, inflammation, and heart failure. The virus can directly infect heart cells, causing myocarditis or damage to the heart muscle. Additionally, systemic inflammation and cytokine release resulting from infection may aggravate pre-existing heart disease or cause new heart problems. Studies show that people with corona have an increased risk of heart-related problems (including heart failure and myocardial infarction). Long-term effects on heart health are also a concern among those recovering from corona.
(PC: Freepik)
