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Tag: heart disease

Video | Study finds no link between COVID vaccines and fatal heart problems in young people

A new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows there is no evidence to suggest COVID vaccines cause sudden cardiac death or other fatal heart problems in young people.

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COVID-19 ‘Radically’ Changed the Leading Causes of Death

COVID-19 became the second leading cause of death globally in the year after it was declared a pandemic, according to a study published in the Lancet.

While heart disease remained the top killer, COVID “radically altered” the main five causes of death for the first time in 30 years, displacing stroke, the publication said. In 2021, 94 in every 100,000 people died from COVID, on an age-standardized basis.

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Cardiovascular risks and COVID-19: New research confirms the benefits of vaccination

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease. Yet, from the earliest days of the pandemic, the cardiovascular risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were clear: individuals with severe cases of COVID-19 often died from cardiovascular complications, and those with pre-existing cardiovascular disease were more likely to have severe illness or die.

In short, the cardiovascular system has played a central role in COVID-19 since the beginning.

It is not surprising that as debate over COVID-19 and vaccines flared that cardiovascular disease was a central issue. Those opposed to vaccination often make claims of cardiovascular risks that exceed any benefits. But when data on COVID-19, vaccines and cardiovascular health are reviewed, the conclusions are clear: vaccines are safe and effective at reducing the cardiovascular complications that are a hallmark of COVID-19.

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Queensland GPs flooded with patients reporting heart problems after long Covid

Queenslanders are flooding GPs practices with heart problems sparked by long Covid, the state’s peak medical body has revealed.

Doctors are seeing more patients with myocarditis and pericarditis due to inflammation caused by the virus that can cause palpitations chest pain or shortness of breath.

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COVID levels are up to 19 times higher than reported, WHO says as it warns of the potential dangers of repeat reinfection: ‘We don’t know everything about this virus’

Five years, 10 years, 20 years from now, what are we going to see in terms of cardiac impairment, pulmonary impairment, neurologic impairment? It’s year five in the pandemic, but there’s still a lot we don’t know about it.

—Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove
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Post-COVID ‘heart failure pandemic’ possible: Japan researchers

After contracting COVID-19, patients may have higher risk of heart failure from persistent viral infection in their hearts, even without developing notable heart disease, according to study results announced by Japanese researchers on Dec. 23.

The team including researchers from Riken, Japan’s largest scientific institute, pointed out the possibility of a “heart failure pandemic” in the near future, and is stressing the need for countermeasures.

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Why some doctors see COVID as a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease

The severity of the infection doesn’t seem to make a difference. These complications can occur even in people who have very mild symptoms. The big surprise is how much this can affect younger people. Studies are showing that even young, active people can experience heightened risk of these complications.

—Dr. Peter Liu, University of Ottawa Heart Institute

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity: These are some of the well-known risk factors that can put people at heightened risk for heart attack and stroke.

Now some health experts say COVID-19 should be added to that list.

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コロナ感染、心不全のリスク高まる可能性 理研など研究

On December 23, a research team from Riken and other institutes announced the results of a study showing that after infection with the novel coronavirus, the heart may be persistently infected with the virus and the risk of heart failure may increase, even if the patient does not develop noticeable heart disease. The team points to the possibility of a sharp increase in the number of heart failure patients in the near future and calls for countermeasures to be taken.

Infection with the novel coronavirus occurs when a protruding “spike protein” on the surface of the virus binds to the ACE2 receptor on the surface of human cells. According to the team, the heart is more likely to express ACE2 compared to other organs. It has also been reported that some people infected with the novel coronavirus have reduced cardiac function, but the detailed mechanism is not known.

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Long COVID changes heart rate variability, study suggests

According to a small case-control study today in Scientific Reports, long COVID can affect heart rate variability (HRV) at rest and during deep breathing, adding to the evidence that persistent symptoms of the virus can be associated with cardiac and dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (dysautonomia). This system regulates involuntary functions like heartbeat, blood pressure, and sweating.

The study, conducted by Brazilian researchers, included 21 patients with long COVID and 20 controls. Long COVID—defined by the authors as new or persistent symptoms experienced 12 or more weeks after infection—has been associated with heart palpitations, orthostatic intolerance (difficulty staying upright), dizziness, and syncope.

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‘Dramatic’ increases in younger Canadians’ deaths contributed to our reduced life expectancy

Amid a declining life expectancy across the country, new national data released this week show that years on from the beginning of the pandemic, COVID-19…

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Meta-analysis reveals high rates of heart complications in long-COVID patients

A review and meta-analysis of long-term cardiac complications of long COVID finds a high prevalence of chest pain and abnormal heart rhythms (arrythmias).

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Canadians’ life expectancy falls for third straight year: StatCan

More than 19,700 Canadians died of COVID-19 last year, the highest number since the pandemic began in 2020.

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Air Pollution Is Really Dangerous, Even More New Evidence Shows

PM2.5 particles are tiny enough to enter the bloodstream and lodge in the lungs, where they contribute to respiratory problems such as asthma. They also can prompt heart attacks and strokes. And they have been linked to diabetes, obesity and dementia and may exacerbate COVID.

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We Interrupt This Mood of Denial to Update COVID’s Threat

Although many Canadians act as though the pandemic has ended, the airborne virus that causes COVID-19 continues to evolve at an amazing pace with devastating consequences for both individuals and the public at large.

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How SARS-CoV-2 contributes to heart attacks and strokes

COVID-19 is known to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. The intense inflammation that occurs throughout the body in severe cases likely contributes to this increased risk. But it’s not clear whether SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, also affects blood vessels directly.

To find out, an NIH-funded research team, led by Dr. Chiara Giannarelli at New York University School of Medicine, analyzed coronary artery tissue samples from eight people who died of COVID-19 between May 2020 and May 2021. Results appeared in Nature Cardiovascular Research on September 28, 2023.

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Debunking COVID-19 myths and misinformation

“The COVID-19 pandemic is over and we are ‘post-pandemic’”

There have been multiple declarations that the pandemic is “over” — perhaps the most well-known was President Joe Biden’s declaration in 2022. When the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 to no longer be a global emergency, many misconstrued this to mean the pandemic is “over.” However, what was largely ignored was WHO then explaining COVID-19 continues to be a global threat, continues to kill and disable millions, and variants are still emerging.

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SARS-CoV-2 can infect coronary arteries and trigger heart attack, stroke, study suggests

SARS-CoV-2 can directly infect the arteries of the heart, inflaming the fatty plaque inside and raising the risk of heart attack and stroke, suggests a small study published yesterday in Nature Cardiovascular Research.

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