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Comment
. 2020 Oct 14;41(39):3836-3838.
doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa727.

The significance of COVID-19-associated myocardial injury: how overinterpretation of scientific findings can fuel media sensationalism and spread misinformation

Nikolaos G Frangogiannis  1
Affiliations
Comment

The significance of COVID-19-associated myocardial injury: how overinterpretation of scientific findings can fuel media sensationalism and spread misinformation

Nikolaos G Frangogiannis. Eur Heart J. .
No abstract available

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The causes of COVID-19-associated cardiac injury in adult patients. In hospitalized COVID-19 patients, myocardial injury defined as release of troponins is common (found in 10–45% of patients), and is found predominantly in critically ill individuals with comorbid conditions. Although it has been suggested that SARS-CoV-2 may enter ACE2-expressing cardiomyocytes and cause direct injury, current evidence suggests that COVID-19-associated myocarditis is uncommon, even in patients who succumb to the disease. In the majority of patients with COVID-19-related myocardial disease, cardiomyocyte injury probably reflects the imbalance between myocardial supply and demand due to the consequences of the critical illness, amplified by pre-existing cardiovascular disease. Cytokine storm-mediated cardiac depression may also represent an uncommon cause of myocardial injury in COVID-19 patients. Moreover, it has been suggested that activation of a thrombotic state, vascular inflammation, and release of cytokines may precipitate plaque rupture in patients with pre-existing atherosclerotic disease, causing acute myocardial infarction. However, such events have rarely been documented. This cartoon was designed using Servier Medical Art (https://smart.servier.com/).
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