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Review
. 2022 Mar;14(1):29-39.
doi: 10.1016/j.ccep.2021.10.004. Epub 2021 Oct 30.

COVID-19, Acute Myocardial Injury, and Infarction

Armando Del Prete  1 , Francesca Conway  2 , Domenico G Della Rocca  3 , Giuseppe Biondi-Zoccai  4 , Francesco De Felice  5 , Carmine Musto  5 , Marco Picichè  6 , Eugenio Martuscelli  7 , Andrea Natale  8 , Francesco Versaci  9
Affiliations
Review

COVID-19, Acute Myocardial Injury, and Infarction

Armando Del Prete et al. Card Electrophysiol Clin. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 can affect the cardiovascular system yielding a wide range of complications, including acute myocardial injury. The myocardium can be damaged by direct viral invasion or indirect mechanisms, sustained by systemic inflammation, immune-mediated response, and dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin system. Myocardial injury affects about one-quarter of patients with COVID-19, can manifest even in the absence of previous cardiovascular disease, and is associated to higher mortality rates and long-term sequelae. This review describes the pathophysiological mechanisms of myocardial injury and infarction and discusses the main clinical outcomes and diagnostic challenges associated with myocardial damage during COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; Myocardial infarction; Myocardial injury; SARS-CoV-2.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
SARS-CoV-2 entry in host cells (A, B) and downregulation of ACE2 expression (C).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Direct (A) and indirect (B) mechanisms of acute myocardial injury during SARS-CoV-2 infection and clinical outcomes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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