Covid-19 could infect the arteries

SARS-Cov-2, the virus that causes covid-19, can directly infect coronary arteries and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack or stroke, according to a study in elderly patients with previous problems with atherosclerosis.

A study that publishes “Natural cardiovascular research” may help explain why certain people who contract Covid-19 are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease or, if they already have it, have more heart-related complications.

Research shows that the virus can infect directly arteries of the heart and cause a large inflammation of the fatty plaque inside them.

The authors, however, warn that the study was conducted with a small cohort of individuals elderly people, suffering from atherosclerosis and other health conditions; therefore, the results cannot be generalized to younger, healthier individuals.

People with covid are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke up to a year after infection,” recalled Michelle Olive from the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), who believes they have discovered “a number of reasons.”