Dr Ristic: Cardiac problems after Covid
Three-quarters of those who died of the Covid 19 had the virus in their hearts, says the latest research on heart tissue.
Source: B92
"It is not unusual to happen that within one systemic, violent inflammatory reaction, the virus reaches, among other things, the cardiovascular system. The disease initially attacks the lungs, but the cardiovascular system suffers both due to poor gas exchange in the lungs and heart muscle inflammation. "About 20 percent of patients who had Covid also had myocarditis or inflammation of the heart muscle, but now we can see that it goes over 50 percent. This indicates that our patients need to be very careful," Dr. Arsen Ristic said for Prva Television.
The first sign that something is gone wrong, starts with chest pain, increased fatigue, suffocation, heart rhythm disorder, and that is the right time to call your cardiologist. Myocarditis manifests itself in a whole spectrum of clinical manifestations, from very mild, in a form of increased fatigue, and some heavier heart beating, which is one of the reasons why this disease is not always recognized or it is recognized only when already manifested by heart insufficiency to sudden cardiac arrest.
"Mechanics and electricity is important in inflammation of the heart muscle, as in cars. Mechanics means whether the heart has expanded and weakened during muscle inflammation. It is due to dangerous arrhythmias or conduction disorders, that athletes lose consciousness. Great efforts are simply forbidden in myocarditis. ", explained Dr. Ristic.
According to Dr. Ristic, all those with frequent respiratory infections also have a higher density of receptors for cardiotropic viruses (the ones attacking the heart muscle) are more prone to a more violent inflammatory reaction as well as those prone to recurrent viral infections are more likely to have a heart problem after Covid.
The heart problem is revealed by observing clinical problems, blood analysis, and changes visible on the ECG indicating inflammation of the heart muscle.
"In the end, the diagnosis is made with a complete circular diagnostic algorithm also used in the Clinical Center of Serbia."
