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Acute Cardiovascular Complications of COVID-19: A Systematic Review
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Acute Cardiovascular Complications of COVID-19: A Systematic Review

Oluwaremilekun Tolu-Akinnawo, Frank Adusei Poku, Thomas Elimihele, Matthew League, Caleb F. Adkins and Henry Okafor
Curēus (Palo Alto, CA), Vol.15(5), e38576
05/05/2023
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.38576
PMCID: PMC10166388
PMID: 37168413
url
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.38576View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Since the pandemic in 2019, coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has continued to be linked with a variety of organ systems and complications. While it is generally considered a respiratory disease, its link with the heart is widely discussed in the literature. This article focuses on the acute cardiovascular complications of COVID-19 and the possible predictors of these complications. Our study included 97 articles (58 case reports, eight case series, 23 retrospective cohort studies, five prospective cohort studies, and three cross-sectional studies). Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain COVID-19-induced cardiovascular complications, with cytokine-induced inflammation and direct cardiac damage noted as the significant focus. Patients with underlying cardiovascular complications such as hypertension and diabetes were noted to be at increased risk of acute cardiovascular complications, as well as an increased risk of severe disease and death. Also, acute myocardial infarction and arrhythmias were two of the most common acute cardiovascular complications noted in our review. Other acute cardiovascular complications are myocarditis, takotsubo syndrome, acute thromboembolic events, and pericardial complications. This article provides an updated review of acute cardiovascular complications of COVID-19, its pathogenesis, and risk stratification and emphasizes the need for high suspicion in patients with underlying cardiovascular risk factors.
 General & Internal Medicine Life Sciences & Biomedicine Medicine, General & Internal Science & Technology

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