Study launched into heart problems after Covid-19

The Dutch Heart Foundation teamed up with scientists, doctors and hospitals to study heart problems and the coronavirus. The researchers will look into whether people are at higher risk for heart problems after having Covid-19, as well as how to better treat people with pre-existing heart problems who contract the coronavirus, the Heart Foundation announced.

It is already known that people with pre-existing heart conditions are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill or even dying if they get Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. For patients who are not hospitalized, and who only have contact with their GP, it is often difficult to get a quick diagnosis and treatment. Because tightness in the chest or chest pain are symptoms of both Covid-19 and cardiovascular problems.

"We urgently need more knowledge about the best treatment of cardiovascular patients with corona," general practitioner and UMC Utrecht researcher Frans Rutten said. "We want to know better how we can treat infected patients at an early stage, in order to prevent complaints and possibly hospitalization."

The study should provide more insight into the personals risks heart patients face of coronavirus complications. The scientists will also investigate the progress of the growing group of recovered coronavirus patients, who were hospitalized with serious symptoms. They hope to find out if these patients are at higher risk of heart-related complications in the long term.