Episode 48: Cardiovascular Health

Additional resources

COVID and Cardiovascular Health

Q1: What is the cardiovascular system?

The cardiovascular system consists of your heart and blood vessels. It supplies your body’s organs with oxygen and nutrients so your organs can do their jobs. It makes sure that your body gets what it needs during exercise and during rest as well as keeping your temperature at a normal level. Blood vessels called veins carry carbon dioxide and other waste to organs that can get rid of it.

Q2: What risks does COVID-19 pose on the cardiovascular system?

A recent study shows that even a mild case of COVID-19 can increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular problems for at least a year after diagnosis. Researchers found the risk of heart failure increased by 72% in people who had recovered from COVID-19. The risk was elevated even for those under age 65, nonsmokers, and for those who didn’t have other risk factors such as obesity or diabetes.

COVID may also cause myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle, and stress cardiomyopathy, which is a heart muscle disorder that affects the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively. 

Most serious of all is the possibility of the immune system releasing proteins called cytokines that attack the invading virus but also can damage healthy tissues. Such a “cytokine storm” can be difficult to survive.

Other COVID-19 related heart problems include coronary artery disease a (buildup in arteries that limits blood flow) and heart attacks. A diagnosis of heart failure after COVID-19 is rare. 

But if you have shortness of breath, palpitations, chest pain or leg swelling after COVID-19, you should contact a health care provider. People who had recovered from COVID-19 were also 52% more likely to have had a stroke.

Q3: How does COVID-19 affect my cardiovascular system once I am infected?

When COVID first began, we thought of it as a lung disease. But, what we found is that the virus gets into the cells of the body by binding to a receptor called ACE2. ACE2 is a protein found throughout the body, including in cells in the lungs. When we breathe the virus in, it attaches to ACE2 and is able to enter our bodies. ACE 2 is also present in nerve cells, the stomach, the intestines, the heart, and the lining of blood vessels throughout the body.  When the virus binds to the ACE2 in a blood vessel it can trigger blood clotting. That's why COVID-19 can cause clotting throughout the body. 

Q4: How does forming blood clots from COVID harm my health?

Blood clots that form in veins is a condition called venous thromboembolism or VTE. Clots can form in a leg or elsewhere, then may break free and move to the lungs, blocking their blood supply, or what is known as a pulmonary embolism, which is a serious and often fatal condition. Older stroke patients who have a history of COVID-19 are more likely to develop dangerous blood clots in the veins than those who did not.  

Research suggests there is a 64% higher risk of VTE among stroke patients with a history of COVID-19 hospitalization, and a 21% higher risk among those who had COVID-19 but weren’t hospitalized. Black stroke patients had the highest rate of VTE compared to other racial and ethnic groups. 

Q5: I have high blood pressure; how can I stay healthy if I get COVID-19?

Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, or hypertension, which means the measurement of the pressure of blood pushing against blood vessel walls is consistently too high. Patients taking common types of blood pressure medicines who contract COVID-19 should continue treatment unless otherwise advised by their health care provider. 

People taking corticosteroids, oral birth control, immunosuppressants, mental health medications and some cancer medications should monitor their blood pressure with their health care provider. Decongestants and painkillers called NSAIDs, such as naproxen and ibuprofen, can increase blood pressure. 

If you are taking medications for high blood pressure and you get COVID, talk to a health care provider. If other symptoms occur — such as chest or back pain, numbness or weakness, loss of vision, or difficulty breathing or speaking—call 911.

Q6: I have a congenital heart condition. What are my risks if infected with COVID-19?

Congenital heart defects occur when the heart, or the blood vessels near it, fail to develop properly before birth. Research finds that people born with heart defects were up to twice as likely to die or be critically sick if they were hospitalized due to COVID. Having another underlying health condition in addition to a heart defect placed people at highest risk for the most severe illness from COVID-19. They also had a higher risk of needing a ventilator or being treated in the intensive care unit than people without heart defects. The increased risks held true regardless of age or having other health conditions.

Document accessibility: For individuals with disabilities or individuals who speak a language other than English, OHA can provide information in alternate formats such as translations, large print, or braille. Contact the Health Information Center at 1-971-673-2411, 711 TTY or COVID19.LanguageAccess@dhsoha.state.or.us.