Catching Covid doubles your risk of heart attack or stroke for the next THREE years, scientists warn

COVID doubles the risk of a heart attack, stroke or dying up to three years later, a new study warns.

The danger is even higher among people with blood types A, B or AB who were infected with the virus compared to those with type O, say scientists.

They reviewed data from more than 10,000 adults aged over 50, including around 8,000 who tested positive for Covid-19 from February 1 to December 31, 2020, and about 2,000 who tested positive for the virus in hospital in 2020.

A group of more than 200,000 adults who had no history of Covid infection during the same time frame and who were also taking part in the ongoing UK Biobank study were reviewed for comparison.

None of the participants were vaccinated at the time of infection because Covid-19 jabs were not yet available.

Researchers found that adults who had mild to severe Covid were more likely to have suffered a heart attack, stroke or died during the following three years.

The elevated risk of heart attack, stroke or death linked to Covid-19 infection was comparable to cardiovascular risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, peripheral artery disease and cardiovascular disease, according to the findings.

The study, published in the journal Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, also found that having a non-O blood type was associated with an increased risk of a heart attack, stroke or death among those who were infected by Covid.

The American research team say their findings suggest that people infected with Covid might benefit from cardiovascular disease prevention treatments to lower the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Study lead author James Hilser, of the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, said: “We found a long-term cardiovascular health risk associated with Covid, especially among people with more severe Covid-19 cases that required hospitalisation.

“This increased risk of heart attack and stroke continued three years after Covid-19 infection.

“Remarkably, in some cases, the increased risk was almost as high as having a known cardiovascular risk factor such as type 2 diabetes or peripheral artery disease.”

Previous research has shown that Covid-19 increases the risk of serious cardiovascular complications within the first month after infection.

The new study examined how long the increased risk lasted and whether it subsided after recovering.

Researchers found that, during the near three-year follow-up period, the risk of a heart attack, stroke and death was more than double among adults who had Covid-19.

This risk was nearly four times greater among adults hospitalised with Covid-19, compared with those never infected with the virus.

People hospitalised with Covid, who didn’t have cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes, had a 21 per cent greater risk of a heart attack, stroke or dying compared to people with cardiovascular disease who didn’t get the virus.

The researchers also found a “significant” genetic interaction among the non-O blood types and hospitalisation for Covid.

People with severe Covid-19 infections had an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

But that risk was even higher in people who had non-O blood types.

The risk of heart attack and stroke was around 65 per cent higher in adults with blood types A, B or AB compared to those who had type O blood.

‘Explains the rise in heart disease’

Study co-senior author Professor Stanley Hazen, chair of cardiovascular and metabolic sciences at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute, said: “Worldwide, over a billion people have already experienced Covid-19 infection.

“The findings reported are not a small effect in a small subgroup.

“The results included nearly a quarter million people and point to a finding of global health care importance that may translate into an explanation for a rise in cardiovascular disease around the world.”

Study co-senior study author Professor Hooman Allayee, also of the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, added: “The results of our study highlight the long-term cardiovascular effects of Covid-19 infection.

“Given the increased risk of heart attack, stroke and death, the question is whether or not severe Covid-19 should be considered as another risk factor for cardiovascular disease, much like type 2 diabetes or peripheral artery disease, where treatment focused on cardiovascular disease prevention may be valuable.

“The results suggest that people with prior Covid infection may benefit from preventive care for cardiovascular disease.”

Professor Sandeep Das, co-chair of the American Heart Association, said of the findings: “They show that something located close to the genetic home of ABO blood type is associated with different degrees of susceptibility to Covid.”

He added: “This is really fascinating, and I look forward to seeing scientists tease out what the specific pathway may be.”