Key Points

The evidence of heart disease post-Covid infection in children and adolescents is limited.

The study, led by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, revealed children and adolescents remained at risk of cardiovascular disease, including higher odds of high blood pressure and heart failure, between one to six months after Covid-19 infection.

The team analysed electronic health records (EHR) data from 19 children's hospitals and health institutions in the US between March 2020 and September 2023.

The study involved 297,920 children and adolescents with Covid infection and 915,402 without infection -- all of them were followed up for at least six months.

The results showed that "children and adolescents with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection are at a statistically significant increased risk of various cardiovascular outcomes"

This includes "hypertension, ventricular arrhythmias, myocarditis, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrest, thromboembolism, chest pain, and palpitations, compared to uninfected controls," said the researchers in the paper published in the journal Nature Communications.

Notably, the team said that the findings remained consistent among patients with and without childhood heart defects (CHDs). However, children with CHD showed a higher risk of atrial fibrillation -- an irregular heartbeat condition.

Further, the study observed a positive association between obesity and increased risks for certain severe cardiovascular outcomes, coupled with lower risks for cardiovascular symptoms, in children and adolescents.

"While these findings were not substantial, they highlight the complexity of obesity-related cardiovascular health in paediatric populations," said the team

"Awareness of the heightened risk of cardiovascular disorders after SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to timely referrals, diagnostic evaluations, and management to mitigate long-term cardiovascular complications in children and adolescents," they added.

- IANS