The associated increased cardiovascular risk in Covid-19 patients could be extended for years and not limited to the acute phase of the infection. These are the results of the study, published in “Cardiovascular Research”, conducted by researchers from the IRCCS San Raffaele in Rome in collaboration with scholars from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and the University of Naples “Federico II”.
Numerous previous studies have demonstrated, on a limited number of hospitalized subjects, that Sars-Cov-2 infection is very often associated with the development of cardiovascular (CV) and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). The relevance, however, of the current work lies in the fact that it examines a large real population involving subjects from a database of General Practitioners of the ASL 1 of Naples followed for 3 years, during the pandemic in the period 2020- 22, and compared with a pre-pandemic population derived from the same database in the period 2017-19. This is a population of approximately 229 thousand patients, including approximately 32 thousand subjects who have had a molecular diagnosis of Covid-19, in a moderate risk region according to the European Score classification.
“The results showed that the group infected with the Covid-19 virus had approximately double the cases of myocardial infarction, cerebral stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation and myopericarditis. A greater risk that in the population affected by Covid-19 lasts for at least 3 years. The significant clinical and social impact therefore requires particular attention towards those affected by Covid-19 who must be followed over time, due to the possible development of cardiovascular diseases” explained Prof. Massimo Volpe, Head of the “Centre for Diagnosis and Treatment of Arterial Hypertension and Cardiovascular Complications” of the IRCCS San Raffaele and among the signatories of the study. The scientific work therefore calls for the planning of a longer follow-up for patients affected by Covid-19, in order to prevent and promptly manage the potential occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events.
