What People With Heart Disease Need to Know About COVID-19 – Everyday Health

The virus that causes COVID-19 is closely related to the viruses that caused the past outbreaks of SARS and MERS. Although it has caused more fatalities than its cousins, the mortality rate for COVID-19 in the general population is still considered to be low. The number is difficult to pin down due to the rapid spread of the virus, and scientists are still learning about the novel virus.

A report published on May 28, 2020, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness (ASPR) estimated U.S. deaths due to COVID-19 among the general public to be around 0.4 percent. A paper published on March 30, 2020, in The Lancet estimated the risk for death for the general public to be around 1.38 percent still less than the estimate of 3 to 4 percent that the World Health Organization (WHO) published in early March. However, that rate jumps to 10.5 percent for people who have cardiovascular disease, according to a bulletin released by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) on March 6, 2020.

People with underlying cardiovascular disease actually have a higher mortality rate when it comes to COVID-19 than people who have an underlying chronic respiratory disease, who experience a 6.3 percent death rate, according to the bulletin.

Newer data from the U.K. Office for National Statistics, published on April 16, 2020, reported that 91 percent of those who died of COVID-19 in England and Wales in March had at least one underlying condition, the most common being heart disease. A CDC report released the following day found that almost 90 percent of adults hospitalized for COVID-19 in the United States in March had at least one underlying condition. Nearly one-half had hypertension, or high blood pressure, compared with roughly 35 percent who had chronic lung disease.

All viruses take a toll on the cardiovascular system, and although doctors still dont fully understand COVID-19, it is a virus and studies have shown that many viruses can cause arrhythmia and even heart attacks, says Mohammad Madjid, MD, an assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston, who was involved with the ACC bulletin.

COVID-19 causes a severe inflammatory response in the body and inflammation is the biggest cause of heart attacks, says Dr. Madjid. Inflammation can cause otherwise benign plaque buildup in the arteries to swell, causing blood clots, heart attack, and stroke, he says.

The virus can also trigger heart conditions in people who didnt have them before contracting the virus. In a case report published February 7, 2020, in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which looked at 138 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in China, researchers found that almost 17 percent of patients developed arrhythmia and just over 7 percent developed acute cardiac injury as a result of the virus. Another small study conducted in the Netherlands, published on April 10, 2020 in the journal Thrombosis Research, found abnormally high instances of blood clots in COVID-19 patients who were in the intensive care unit (ICU). COVID-19 can cause sepsis, too, says Waqar Khan, MD, a cardiologist at Lone Star Heart and Vascular Center in Tomball, Texas.

Such complications can decrease blood oxygen levels, which can also affect the heart, says Dr. Khan. Not knowing what were dealing with adds to the risk because we cant completely predict the outcomes.

There are some precautions you can take to both protect yourself from the virus itself as well as to lower your risk of developing complications if you do contract the COVID-19 virus.

RELATED: 10Misconceptions About the Coronavirus

If you have warning signs of a heart attack or stroke you should call 911 immediately, advises the American Heart Association (AHA). Although some hospitals are experiencing overcrowding due to an influx of COVID-19 patients, emergency systems have plans in place to ensure that patients who have medical emergencies unrelated to COVID-19 get the care they need with minimal risk of being exposed to the novel coronavirus.

If you need to speak with a doctor about something that is not an emergency, opt for a telehealth visit when possible over going to your doctors office. Limiting the number of people going in and out of clinics is an important step in cutting down on the number of people potentially exposed to the novel coronavirus. Again, not all medical situations can be solved remotely, so its important to get early intervention if you feel that an emergency situation is setting in.

While heart surgeries were reduced by 50 to 75 percent during nationwide stay-at-home orders, according to a survey published on May 11, 2020, in the journal Circulation, hospitals in many states plan to resume elective procedures in June, and some hospitals already have.

Although being pregnant does not increase a womans risk of contracting COVID-19, pregnant women should follow all of the same recommendations as the general population. Women living with heart disease or stroke whether they are pregnant or not may be at an increased risk of severe complications from COVID-19, says Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, a preventive cardiologist based in New York and fellow of both the ACC and the AHA.

Researchers are still studying the connection and without formal guidelines, women should adhere to health organizations like theCDC, the American College of Obstetrics andGynecology (ACOG), and theAHA for the latest resources on how to manage their health during the pandemic while pregnant, says Dr. Steinbaum.

For pregnant women who also have cardiovascular disease, prevention and self-care are critical, says Steinbaum. Women with heart disease should know their risk and, if pregnant, work with their ob-gyn and cardiologist to determine the best treatment plan.

According to Steinbaum, women can manage their cardiovascular risks while pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic by managing high blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight, lowering stress, eating well, and not smoking.

RELATED: Pregnancy and the Coronavirus: What Are the Risks?

Its always important to keep up with any heart medication your doctor has prescribed, and even more so when you are at risk of being exposed to the COVID-19 virus.

By taking your medication, you can better protect your heart, which can help protect you against complications of COVID-19 if you do get it, says Madjid.

People with heart disease also need to pay extra attention to symptoms, such as being short of breath, having chest pain, or having an irregular heartbeat, says Khan.

RELATED: COVID-19 May Cause Heart Damage in People Without Existing Heart Issues, Research Finds

The AHA, the ACC, and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) published their recommendations in early April concerning the heart risks associated with hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug, and the antibiotic azithromycin, commonly known as Z-Pak. Both have been touted as potential treatments for COVID-19 but the cardiology organizations warn that both pose a serious threat to people who have existing cardiovascular disease.

Risks include irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia and long QT syndrome), life-threateningly high heart rate (polymorphic ventricular tachycardia) and sudden death. AHA experts advise people with existing heart conditions to take extreme caution if prescribed either of these drugs and to do so only if they can be monitored by a health professional.

The most promising vaccines for the COVID-19 virus have just recently entered clinical trials in which new drugs are tested on humans to determine whether or not they carry any dangerous side effects and are still about a year out from reaching the public.

There are, however, vaccines for influenza and viral pneumonia, two viruses that also increase a persons risk of heart problems and weaken the immune system. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 40 percent of Americans didnt get a flu shot during the 20172018 flu season.

People with heart disease and those who have had a stroke are at risk of developing serious complications from the flu. Studies have shown that for people with heart disease, influenza is associated with an increase of heart attacks and stroke, the CDC website states.

The agency also recommends that people who have heart disease should be up-to-date with pneumococcal vaccination to protect against pneumococcal diseases, such as pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections.

The 20192020 flu season is over, however its difficult to predict how long the current pandemic will last. Either way, the CDC recommends getting a flu shot for the 20202021 season sometime in October to protect yourself against getting influenza later in the season.

RELATED: How Long Does a Cold or Flu Last?

The COVID-19 virus is particularly good at surviving outside of the human body, so handwashing is the key, says Madjid. And avoid touching places that have potentially been touched by an infected person, because not all infected people have symptoms.

These are places like elevator buttons, subway poles, and essentially anything else in the public space. If you do, make sure to find a sink as soon as possible and wash your hands. Lather up with soap and warm water and keep it up for at least 20 seconds (about how long it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice, or sing the chorus to one of any number of songs). Washing your hands with soap and warm water is the gold standard of hygiene but if you dont have access to facilities, hand sanitizer is the next best thing, says Madjid.

You should also avoid touching your face especially your eyes, nose, and mouth, where germs can easily enter the body which may be harder than you think. A small study of 26 college students, published in February 2015 in the American Journal of Infection Control, found that on average, participants touched their face 23 times per hour.

Studies show that a significant number of people who have COVID-19 either do not show any symptoms at all, or havesymptoms originally not associated with the virus. For this reason, the CDC recommends that everyone wear a cloth mask while in public space and reserve N95 masks, which are in short supply around the world, for medical professionals working on the frontlines of the pandemic. Even if you arent savvy with a sewing machine, you can still make your own mask from a cotton T-shirt or bandana. You should also continue to stay six feet away from other people, even when wearing a mask.

Original post:
What People With Heart Disease Need to Know About COVID-19 - Everyday Health