# COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Complications: A Follow-Up Study from Tertiary Center

## TL;DR

This study examines how COVID-19 affects patients with cardiovascular diseases, finding that these patients are at higher risk of severe outcomes and new cardiovascular events.

## Contribution

The study provides insights into the cardiovascular risks of COVID-19 in patients with pre-existing heart conditions and identifies key predictors of mortality.

## Key findings

- 47% of hospitalized patients experienced new cardiovascular events during their stay.
- Patients with coronary heart disease or heart failure had significantly higher odds of death during hospitalization.
- High potassium levels were also strongly associated with increased mortality risk.

## Abstract

(1) Background: In addition to its fatal outcomes, COVID-19 is associated with a spectrum of non-fatal complications that significantly influence clinical trajectories and quality of life. Cardiovascular complications, in particular, are of major clinical relevance and are recognized as key contributors to both short- and long-term morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of COVID-19 infection on patients with underlying cardiovascular diseases. (2) Methods: The prospective cohort study included a total of 99 consecutive subjects hospitalized due to moderate and severe forms of COVID-19 pneumonia in “Zvezdara”—University Medical Center in the period of 18 March–18 April 2021. (3) Results: During hospitalization, 47% of patients had some new cardiovascular events. A total of 10 patients died during hospital stay. The highest chance for the lethal outcome was seen in those with previously diagnosed coronary heart disease (B = 3.356, OR = 28.667 (95% CI 2.69–305.14), p = 0.005), heart failure (B = 3.056, OR = 21.250 (95% CI 3.36–134.56), p = 0.001) and increased potassium values (B = 2.639, OR = 14.000 (95% CI 2.65–73.88), p = 0.002). (4) Conclusions: Care strategies for patients who survived the acute episode of COVID-19 should include attention to cardiovascular disease. Our findings emphasize the need for continued optimization of strategies for primary prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infections as the best way to prevent long COVID and serious cardiovascular complications.