Arch Med Sci . COVID-19 and cardiovascular complications - preliminary results of the LATE-COVID study

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Arch Med Sci


. 2021 Mar 18;17(3):818-822.
doi: 10.5114/aoms/134211. eCollection 2021.
COVID-19 and cardiovascular complications - preliminary results of the LATE-COVID study


Joanna Lewek ^{1 2} , Izabela Jatczak-Pawlik ^{1 3} , Marek Maciejewski ² , Piotr Jankowski ³ , Maciej Banach ^{1 3 4}



Affiliations

• PMID: 34025853
• PMCID: PMC8130484
• DOI: 10.5114/aoms/134211

Abstract

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may affect many organs and may be responsible for numerous complications including cardiovascular problems.
Methods: We analysed consecutive patients (n = 51) admitted to the cardiology department between 1^st October 2020 and 31^st January 2021 due to symptoms which might have reflected cardiovascular complications following COVID-19. We collected data concerning clinical characteristics, results of laboratory tests, echocardiography and 24-hour ambulatory ECG recording.
Results: The post-COVID-19 complications appeared 1-4 months after disease recovery. Severe cardiovascular complications were observed in 27.5% of hospitalized patients. In comparison to those with mild complications, patients with severe complications had significantly higher prevalence of diabetes (36 vs. 8%; p = 0.01), decrease in ejection fraction (36% vs. 0%, p < 0.001), higher resting heart rate at admission (85 vs. 72 bpm; p < 0.001), and higher levels of C-reactive protein (p = 0.02) and troponin T (17.9 vs. 4.2 pg/ml; p = 0.01). Dyspnoea and exercise intolerance were also more frequent in patients with severe complications.
Conclusions: Diabetes, elevated level of CRP and troponin, heart rate variability parameters and worsening of left ventricular ejection fraction are related to the severity of cardiovascular complications following COVID-19 infection.

Keywords: COVID-19; autonomic dysregulation; cardiovascular complications; decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction; myocarditis.