Covid-19 could 'break' your heart, no matter how fit you are: Doctors

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Coronavirus, doctors, UAE, Covid19, heart problems, heart related issues, cardiovascular diseases,

Dubai - The damage caused by the deadly virus could make a patient prone to heart attack.

By Saman Haziq

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Published: Tue 29 Sep 2020, 9:00 PM

Last updated: Thu 1 Oct 2020, 9:15 AM

Covid-19 can leave a person more susceptible to heart-related issues, no matter how young or fit he is, doctors have warned as they reiterated the need to take precautions.
Explaining the link between Covid-19 and cardiovascular disease (CVD) on World Heart Day on Tuesday, Dr Brajesh Mittal, interventional cardiologist at Medcare Hospital, Dubai, said: "When Covid-19 occurs, it affects the heart in two ways. At the time of infection, it can cause muscle damage and infection of the heart muscles directly.
"Or, it can indirectly affect the heart and other organs by releasing some pro-inflammatory chemicals called cytokines, which harm the linings of small blood vessels and induce clotting, making a patient prone to a heart attack in the future."
Dr Mittal recently encountered a case of a 46-year-old sports enthusiast who had completely recovered from Covid-19 some two months ago. The man was healthy and in good shape but, suddenly, he suffered a massive heart attack.
"The patient, a physically fit Caucasian male, was a non-smoker and had no history of any other conventional risk factor for the heart disease such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity - but he contracted the virus a couple of months back and had recovered.
"However, the virus had damaged his arterial lining and had increased chances of clot formation on the damaged lining of the artery. So, while exercising, he developed a clot in his artery and suffered a heart attack."
Surge in young heart patients
Another cardiologist agreed that the damage caused by the deadly virus could make a patient prone to heart attack.
Dr Jose John, cardiology specialist at LLH Hospital Musaffah, said: "We saw a surge in cases of heart complications on patients during the time of Covid infection, and we can attribute it to two factors: One is the increase in clotting in the body due to the inflammation caused by the virus; and second, due to the stress and anxiety caused by the virus among Covid patients and those who had recovered or whose family suffered from the disease."
Stress and anxiety also trigger heart issues, Dr John said, as it can damage the interior walls of the arteries in the same way as the virus attack does.
"Lack of physical exercise, increase in consumption of processed food - especially during the stay-home period, work-related stress and increase in screen time were other factors that contribute to the recent surge of young patients with heart issues," he added.
'30 is no longer too young for a heart attack'
Mohamed Nawabjan is 29 years young but, in July this year, he suddenly felt a sharp radiating pain in his left arm. He had a heart attack.
Though Nawabjan led an active lifestyle and maintained a normal weight, he was a chronic smoker who puffed around 15 cigarettes a day.
Dr Paul Stanley, interventional cardiology consultant at NMC Speciality Hospital Abu Dhabi, said: "Despite having normal weight, active lifestyle and young age - all considered to be important to save one's heart - Mohamed was a chronic smoker having 15 cigarettes a day for the last decade and a half. He also has a family history of diabetes."
Studies have revealed that in young, seemingly healthy individuals, the heart attacks are considered to be more fatal as they occur in a larger area of heart.
Hence, in Nawabjan's case, an emergency primary angioplasty had to be done during an ongoing attack.
"Using a thrombectomy device, we sucked out the thrombus (clot) and gave him the blood clot breaking medicine, so the artery opened up within an hour of his arrival to the hospital, thus saving his life," said Dr Stanley.
After such a narrow escape, the young man - who is a father to two little girls aged four and one ­- quit smoking for good.
Experts said that among the leading causes of heart disease is obesity, which is also linked to diabetes and high cholesterol. With the UAE population prone to obesity because of a genetic component, patients in their 20s were found having heart attacks. Studies reveal that in the country, the risk of heart disease risk starts 10 years earlier than those in Western countries.
Another cardiologist cited the case of a 27-year-old heart patient as an example. Dr Carl B. Kapadia, consultant interventional cardiologist at NMC Royal Hospital, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, said: "The young man came with a past medical history notable for obesity, cigarette smoking and family history of premature heart disease. He had not seen a healthcare provider in years, resulting in an undiagnosed hypertension, hyperlipidemia and prediabetes.His mother had passed away from a heart attack at age 52. Despite that, he continued with poor lifestyle habits."
saman@khaleejtimes.com 

Dr Brajesh Mittal, interventional cardiologist at Medcare Hospital, Dubai
Dr Brajesh Mittal, interventional cardiologist at Medcare Hospital, Dubai
Dr Jose John, cardiology specialist at LLH Hospital Musaffah
Dr Jose John, cardiology specialist at LLH Hospital Musaffah
Dr Carl B. Kapadia, consultant interventional cardiologist at NMC Royal Hospital, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi
Dr Carl B. Kapadia, consultant interventional cardiologist at NMC Royal Hospital, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi
Dr Paul Stanley, interventional cardiology consultant at NMC Speciality Hospital Abu Dhabi
Dr Paul Stanley, interventional cardiology consultant at NMC Speciality Hospital Abu Dhabi

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