According to Prof. Rajesh Vijayvergiya of the Cardiology Department at PGI, on the occasion of World Heart Day, said infection has a negative impact on the heart by reducing its ability to pump blood and by causing an acute blockage of the coronary arteries, which may result in unfavourable consequences and concerns have been raised about the Covid-19 virus and an increase in heart attacks.
The chance of having your first heart attack rises three to eight times in the week following a COVID-19 diagnosis, increasing by three to six times the risk of suffering a first stroke brought on by a blood clot. Both hazards continued to be increased for at least a month after the initial weeks, but they gradually declined.
Heart attacks and strokes are known to briefly increase in frequency due to other bacterial and viral diseases (like the flu). But infections with COVID-19 appear to be particularly dangerous, maybe because they generate an excessive inflammatory response that increases the risk of blood clots.
Researchers showed that those with mild COVID had a 39 percent increased chance of having heart issues compared to the current control group, or 28 more cardiovascular issues per 1,000 people in a 12-month period.
That is a significantly lesser burden than that experienced by COVID patients who were admitted to a hospital or intensive care unit. The elevated risk isn’t insignificant, though.
How to stop a heart attack
There has been an increase in heart attacks as a result of the pandemic-related rise in cardiac risk factors. We need to stop heart attacks by making a few simple changes to one’s healthy lifestyle, and heart problems can be greatly reduced :-
● Start evaluating risk factors in adults at age 20.
● Evaluate your food, drinking habits, physical activity, and smoking habits.
● Keep track of your pulse, blood pressure, and body mass index at least every two years.
● At least once every five years, check your blood sugar and fasting serum cholesterol.
● Healthy people should be checked for cardiac disease after 40 years.
According to Prof. Vijayvergiya, cardiac risk can be considerably reduced by engaging in regular physical activity, cutting back on salt intake, regularising sleep, minimising psychological stress, and practising regular meditation.
The risk of cardiac mortality and heart attacks in young individuals is also a concern, despite the fact that they routinely work out in the gym and follow a strict low-calorie diet.
The results of the comparison with historical data were similar : the risk of cardiovascular issues was 58 percent higher in the COVID group than in the pre-pandemic control group.
By highlighting the existence of certain cardiac risk factors, such as smoking, physical exertion, high levels of stress, and a family history of the condition. Eventually cause acute cardiac events, such as heart attacks or death, in otherwise healthy individuals.
