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Long COVID Doubles Heart Disease Risk in Women, Study Warns

A study from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet reveals that individuals with long COVID face a significantly increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, including cardiac arrhythmias and coronary artery disease. The research, tracking over 1.2 million people, found that women with long COVID had more than double the risk of a cardiovascular diagnosis compared to unaffected women. Even among those not hospitalized during their initial COVID-19 infection, the risk of secondary heart conditions was notably elevated. The authors emphasize the need for structured, gender-sensitive medical follow-up for long COVID patients to address these emerging health threats.

Key Points: Long COVID Increases Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Study

  • Higher risk of cardiac arrhythmias
  • Increased coronary artery disease
  • Women face doubled cardiovascular risk
  • Long-term follow-up needed
2 min read

People suffering from long COVID at increased cardiovascular disease risk: Study

New research finds long COVID patients face higher risk of heart arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, and heart failure, even without prior hospitalization.

"Women with long COVID had just over twice the risk of receiving a cardiovascular diagnosis compared with women without long COVID. - Study"

New Delhi, April 2

A team of researchers has shown that people with long COVID are likely to be at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

The research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, found that the risk of conditions such as cardiac arrhythmias and coronary artery disease is higher even among those who were not hospitalised during the acute infection.

"We found that cardiac arrhythmias and coronary artery disease were more common among both women and men with long COVID. In women, there was also an increased risk of heart failure and peripheral vascular disease," said Pia Lindberg from the Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet.

However, no clear association was found between long COVID and stroke.

According to the study, long COVID has become an increasingly significant health problem worldwide, and a growing number of studies suggest that the condition can lead to secondary cardiovascular diseases.

In the current study, the researchers investigated how often major cardiovascular events occur in these individuals compared with those without the diagnosis.

From over 1.2 million people aged between 18 and 65, around 9,000 had been diagnosed with long COVID, corresponding to 0.7 per cent. Two-thirds of them were women.

During the follow-up period of around four years, people with long COVID were more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease.

About 18.2 per cent of women and 20.6 per cent of men experienced some form of cardiovascular event, compared with 8.4 per cent of women and 11.1 per cent of men in the group without long COVID.

"Women with long COVID had just over twice the risk of receiving a cardiovascular diagnosis compared with women without long COVID. Men had approximately a third higher risk," the study showed.

As many people with long COVID never required hospitalisation during their acute infection, there is a risk that secondary conditions may be missed, said Lindberg.

"Results show that long COVID can be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, even in younger people who were previously healthy. This underlines the need for structured follow-up that takes gender differences into account," the study author said.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
The study says 2/3 were women. That's a huge gender disparity. Why is long COVID affecting women more? More research is needed on this in the Indian context.
D
David E
As someone who had COVID in 2021 and still gets palpitations, this hits home. The article is right – because I wasn't hospitalized, my GP didn't take my heart concerns seriously at first. Structured follow-up is crucial.
A
Aman W
Yaar, this is scary stuff. We all thought once the fever and cough were gone, we were safe. Now this news about heart disease for younger people too? Government should start awareness campaigns about post-COVID checkups.
S
Shreya B
While the study is important, I respectfully think the focus should also be on prevention. We've moved on from masks and sanitizers, but maybe we shouldn't have. Protecting ourselves from getting COVID in the first place is the best way to avoid these long-term risks.
K
Karthik V
The numbers are stark – over twice the risk for women! My mother had long COVID. Time to schedule a proper cardiac check-up for her. Thanks for sharing this article.

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