Cardiac Involvement of COVID-19: A Comprehensive Review

Wei-Ting Chang; Han Siong Toh; Chia-Te Liao; Wen-Liang Yu

doi:10.1016/j.amjms.2020.10.002

Cardiac Involvement of COVID-19: A Comprehensive Review

Am J Med Sci. 2021 Jan;361(1):14-22. doi: 10.1016/j.amjms.2020.10.002. Epub 2020 Oct 6.

Authors

Wei-Ting Chang¹, Han Siong Toh², Chia-Te Liao³, Wen-Liang Yu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan; Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Biotechnology, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan.
² Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
³ Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: Yuleon_md@yahoo.com.tw.

Abstract

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. SARS-CoV-2 caused COVID-19 has reached a pandemic level. COVID-19 can significantly affect patients' cardiovascular systems. First, those with COVID-19 and preexisting cardiovascular disease have an increased risk of severe disease and death. Mortality from COVID-19 is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension. Second, therapies under investigation for COVID-19 may have cardiovascular side effects of arrhythmia. Third, COVID-19 is associated with multiple direct and indirect cardiovascular complications. Associated with a high inflammatory burden related to cytokine release, COVID-19 can induce vascular inflammation, acute myocardial injury, myocarditis, arrhythmias, venous thromboembolism, metabolic syndrome and Kawasaki disease. Understanding the effects of COVID-19 on the cardiovascular system is essential for providing comprehensive medical care for cardiac and/or COVID-19 patients. We hereby review the literature on COVID-19 regarding cardiovascular virus involvement.

Keywords: Coronavirus; Covid-19; Myocardial injury; Sars-cov-2; myocarditis.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2
Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
COVID-19 / complications*
COVID-19 / epidemiology
COVID-19 Drug Treatment
Cardiovascular Diseases / diagnosis
Cardiovascular Diseases / etiology*
Cytokine Release Syndrome / etiology
Humans
Metabolic Syndrome / etiology
SARS-CoV-2*

Substances

Antiviral Agents
ACE2 protein, human
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2