COVID-19 survivors continue to be at risk for heart problems for at least one year after infection, according to a new study.
What’s going on: A new study published in Nature Medicine found that COVID-19 often created heart rhythm irregularities and, in some cases, deadly blood clots in the year after someone was first infected with COVID-19.
- Per NBC News, the study — which reviewed the rates of people with new heart problems among 153,760 COVID-19 patients — found that COVID-19 put people at risk for a number of heart problems, including:
- Heart failure (72%).
- Heart attack (63%).
- Stroke (52%).
What they’re saying: “It was a bit of a moment for us when we realized it was evident in all of these subgroups, including younger adults, older adults, Black people, white people, people with obesity and those without,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis, according to NBC News.
- “The risk was everywhere,” he said.
The bigger picture: COVID-19 survivors have reported suffering symptoms — from fatigue to shortness of breath, among a number of other side effects — for months after infection.