Not inflammation and destruction: how COVID-19 affects the heart

Scientists from the U.S. found that injuries to the heart in patients with COVID-19 atypical for viral diseases. If earlier it was believed that the infection leads to inflammation of the heart muscle, it now appears that die only a few cells in the heart. The cardiologists told “Газете.Ru” what this defeat is most often leads to an unfavorable outcome of the disease. On why there is such a pathology of the heart and who we should fear — in the material “Газеты.Ru”.

American scientists in the autopsy, died of coronavirus infection patients have found that SARS-CoV-2 does not lead to typical inflammation of the heart muscle, as previously thought – it turned out that the damage in your heart are quite different. About it writes the edition EurekAlert.

“We have identified changes that cast doubt on the notion that in severe infections of the SARS-CoV-2 present typical myocarditis (damage to the heart muscle, which is inflammatory in nature, — “Газета.Ru). It’s more about the unique death of individual cells in heart muscle,” explained Dr. medical Sciences, Professor and head of Department of pathology at LSU Health New Orleans Richard Vander Heide.

He noted that the new coronavirus — in contrast to other viruses, SARS – is not present in most cells of the heart muscle, and is found in cells of small blood vessels.

“We were already aware of a coronavirus that primarily causes damage to the vascular endothelium — the internal lining. In turn, the usual viral infections cause inflammation in cardiomyocytes (muscle cells of the heart, — “Газета.Ru”)”.

He stressed that when COVID-19 capillary vessels in the lungs and affects the brain — has now turned out that pathology develops in the heart. “The discovery shows that the coronavirus damages the whole vascular system,” — said Results.

Meanwhile, the cardiologist explained Valeria Pridachin “Газете.Ru” that damage blood vessels in all organs, including the heart, due to the influence of cytokines – molecules that are produced by the body in response to viral infection. “Cytokines affect the blood vessels, causing them damage. Here, by the way, and thrombosis,” said the doctor.

American experts believe that the cause of such damage may be the cytokine storm – overreaction of the immune system to the virus. As explained “Газете.Ru” chief geriatrician of the Ministry of health of the Russian Federation Olga Tkacheva, the manifestation COVID-19 “is sometimes more dangerous than the virus itself” and occurs not only in those who are at risk.

“Cytokine storm leads to the development of heavy inflammatory processes damage both the lungs and the liver, kidneys, and other organs. This generalized failure,” she said.

Zaur Results said that during the peak of the epidemic coronavirus infection in Moscow doctors have seen patients with damage to certain cells of the heart. In this case, Valeria Pridachin stressed that before the pandemic cardiologists with such phenomena not encountered.

“I would like to note that in the example of the Moscow patients we can say that it is the defeat of the cardiovascular system was an important factor of unfavorable outcome of the disease”, — noted Results.

In General, clinically expressed heart failure have 23-42% of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, said the portal “Dr. Peter” head of heart failure SMRC them. Almazov Maria Sitnikova. “Heart problems are recorded more often from deceased patients compared to survivors is 51.9% versus 11.7%, respectively,” she added.