9 Oct 2024 • COVID-19 infection may increase the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and mortality from any cause for up to three years for people with and without cardiovascular disease, according to new research published in AHA's journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB).

• During the nearly 3-year follow-up period, the risk of heart attack, stroke and death was more than two times higher among adults who had COVID-19, and nearly four times greater among adults hospitalized with COVID-19, compared with the group with no history of COVID-19 infection.
• People with severe COVID-19 infections had an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, however, that risk was even higher in people who had non-O blood types (those with blood types A, B or AB).
• The risk of heart attack and stroke was about 65% higher in adults with non-O blood types compared to those who had type O blood.

In conculsion, hospitalization for COVID-19 represents a coronary artery disease risk equivalent, with post–acute myocardial infarction and stroke risk particularly heightened in non-O blood types. A history of prior COVID hospitalization, even without a history of CVD, should be considered to initiate and possibly accelerate CVD prevention efforts.

Source: AHA | Read full story