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Review
. 2021 Sep;28(5):439-445.
doi: 10.1007/s40292-021-00464-8. Epub 2021 Jun 26.

Covid and Cardiovascular Diseases: Direct and Indirect Damages and Future Perspective

Giacomo Ruzzenenti  1   2 , Alessandro Maloberti  3   4 , Valentina Giani  1   2 , Marco Biolcati  1   2 , Filippo Leidi  1   2 , Massimiliano Monticelli  1   2 , Enzo Grasso  1   2 , Iside Cartella  1   2 , Matteo Palazzini  1   2 , Laura Garatti  1   2 , Nicola Ughi  5 , Claudio Rossetti  6 , Oscar Massimiliano Epis  5 , Cristina Giannattasio  1   2 ; Covid-19 Niguarda Working Group
Affiliations
Review

Covid and Cardiovascular Diseases: Direct and Indirect Damages and Future Perspective

Giacomo Ruzzenenti et al. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 infection determines a disease that predominantly affects lungs. However the cytokines storms, determined by the huge immune response to the infection, could affect also other organs and apparatus such as heart and vessels. Beyond the acute inflammation itself also hypercoagulative status has been linked to SARSCoV-2 infection and this surely relates to the increase seen in prevalence of pulmonary embolism and myocardial infarction. A number of cardiac abnormalities and pathologies have been observed, with special attention to cardiac arrhythmias and myocardial involvement. Furthermore, indirect damages determined by the reduction in acute and chronic cardiovascular care, results in a strong mortality and morbidity outcomes in cardiological patients. In this review we will summarise current knowledge on both direct and indirect cardiovascular damages determined by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemia.

Keywords: Acute myocardial infarction; COVID-19; Cardiovascular; Coronavirus; Myocarditis; SARS-CoV-2.

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Conflict of interest statement

All the authors declares that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Possible mechanisms underlying myocardial injury in sepsis, and particularly during SARS-CoV-2 infection
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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