tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Clin Med
. 2022 Oct 18;11(20):6123.
doi: 10.3390/jcm11206123.
Assessment of Adult Patients with Long COVID Manifestations Suspected as Cardiovascular: A Single-Center Experience
Alon Shechter[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Dana Yelin[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Ili Margalit[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Merry Abitbol[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Olga Morelli[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Ashraf Hamdan[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Mordehay Vaturi[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Alon Eisen[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Alex Sagie[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Ran Kornowski[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Yaron Shapira[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Persistent symptoms affect a subset of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors. Some of these may be cardiovascular (CV)-related. Objective: To assess the burden of objective CV morbidity among, and to explore the short-term course experienced by, COVID-19 patients with post-infectious symptomatology suspected as CV. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective analysis of consecutive adult patients with new-onset symptoms believed to be CV following recovery from COVID-19, who had been assessed at a dedicated 'Cardio'-COVID clinic between June 2020 and June 2021. All participants were followed for 1 year for symptomatic course and the occurrence of new CV diagnoses and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Results: A total of 96 patients (median age 54 (IQR, 44-64) years, 52 (54%) females) were included in the final analysis. Initial visits occurred within a median of 142 days after the diagnosis of acute COVID. Nearly all (99%) patients experienced a symptomatic acute illness, which was graded as severe in 26 (27%) cases according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria. Long-COVID symptoms included mainly dyspnea and fatigue. While the initial work-up was mostly normal, 45% of the 11 cardiac magnetic resonance studies performed revealed pathologies. New CV diagnoses were made in nine (9%) patients and mainly included myocarditis that later resolved. An abnormal spirometry was the only variable associated with these. No MACE were recorded. Fifty-two (54%) participants felt that their symptoms improved. No association was found between CV morbidity and symptomatic course. Conclusions: In our experience, long-COVID symptoms of presumed CV origin signified actual CV disease in a minority of patients who, irrespective of the final diagnosis, faced a fair 1-year prognosis.
Keywords: cardiovascular complications; long COVID; prognosis.
. 2022 Oct 18;11(20):6123.
doi: 10.3390/jcm11206123.
Assessment of Adult Patients with Long COVID Manifestations Suspected as Cardiovascular: A Single-Center Experience
Alon Shechter[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Dana Yelin[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Ili Margalit[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Merry Abitbol[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Olga Morelli[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Ashraf Hamdan[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Mordehay Vaturi[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Alon Eisen[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Alex Sagie[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Ran Kornowski[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Yaron Shapira[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 36294444
- DOI: 10.3390/jcm11206123
Abstract
Background: Persistent symptoms affect a subset of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors. Some of these may be cardiovascular (CV)-related. Objective: To assess the burden of objective CV morbidity among, and to explore the short-term course experienced by, COVID-19 patients with post-infectious symptomatology suspected as CV. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective analysis of consecutive adult patients with new-onset symptoms believed to be CV following recovery from COVID-19, who had been assessed at a dedicated 'Cardio'-COVID clinic between June 2020 and June 2021. All participants were followed for 1 year for symptomatic course and the occurrence of new CV diagnoses and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Results: A total of 96 patients (median age 54 (IQR, 44-64) years, 52 (54%) females) were included in the final analysis. Initial visits occurred within a median of 142 days after the diagnosis of acute COVID. Nearly all (99%) patients experienced a symptomatic acute illness, which was graded as severe in 26 (27%) cases according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria. Long-COVID symptoms included mainly dyspnea and fatigue. While the initial work-up was mostly normal, 45% of the 11 cardiac magnetic resonance studies performed revealed pathologies. New CV diagnoses were made in nine (9%) patients and mainly included myocarditis that later resolved. An abnormal spirometry was the only variable associated with these. No MACE were recorded. Fifty-two (54%) participants felt that their symptoms improved. No association was found between CV morbidity and symptomatic course. Conclusions: In our experience, long-COVID symptoms of presumed CV origin signified actual CV disease in a minority of patients who, irrespective of the final diagnosis, faced a fair 1-year prognosis.
Keywords: cardiovascular complications; long COVID; prognosis.