What You Should Know

Like other respiratory illnesses, COVID-19 can cause lung damage and make it harder to breathe. But research shows it may also affect your heart and blood vessels – sometimes even weeks or months after you start feeling better.

Studies have shown that:

• People who’ve had any form of COVID-19 are:
  • Up to twice as likely to have a heart attack, stroke 
  • Much more likely to have a heart attack, stroke or die from a heart-related cause, even up to 3 years after their initial COVID illness.
• Women, including those who had mild COVID, can develop stiffening of their arteries, seemingly speeding up the normal aging process of blood vessels by about 5 years!
• Some symptoms – chest pain, heart palpitations, feeling short of breath or dizzy – can linger or show up after COVID infection. These may be a sign of long COVID.
• Long COVID may also double the risk of developing heart or blood vessel problems.

How Does COVID‑19 Affect the Heart and Blood Vessels?

When your body fights an infection, your heart has to work harder. As a result there is added stress on the heart and blood vessels.

Research shows that COVID-19 can:

• Cause inflammation in the heart muscle or blood vessels
• Increase the chance that blood clots will form, which can slow or block blood flow
• Disrupt how your body controls heart rate and blood pressure
• Damage the heart muscle and this is true for people without heart disease too
• Worsen existing heart conditions
• Lead to high blood pressure, even after mild illness
• Lead to ongoing symptoms (long COVID)