Coronavirus disease is associated with an increased risk of subsequent cardiovascular disease and death.  And the risk is particularly high among those who have been hospitalized in a serious condition, researchers from Queen Mary University of London have found, MedicalXpress reported.

The researchers analyzed data from 53,613 participants in a large-scale UK Biobank study, of whom 17,871 were diagnosed with COVID-19 infection between March 2020 and March 2021. Among those who suffered a coronavirus infection, there were more men with poorer cardiometabolic health. 2,701 were hospitalized because of COVID-19, 866 were hospitalized for another condition, and 14,304 did not need inpatient treatment.

Volunteers were followed until they developed cardiovascular disease or died by the end of March 2021. Follow-up periods ranged from 32 to 395 days. Clinical outcomes included heart attack, stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism, pericarditis, death from cardiovascular disease or coronary heart disease, and death from any cause.

Those who did not need hospitalization for coronavirus were three times more likely to have a venous thrombus (VTE) and 10 times more likely to die from any cause. Those who went to the hospital had more than 27 times the risk of VTE, 21.5 times the chance of heart failure, and 17.5 times the chance of stroke. The risk of atrial fibrillation increased almost 15-fold, pericarditis 14-fold, and heart attack 10-fold.

Overall, among those who were hospitalized because of COVID-19, mortality was 118 times higher than among those who did not need inpatient treatment. Most illnesses and deaths from any cause were reported in the first 30 days after infection, but the risk of adverse outcome remained elevated after 30 days.