Thread by @WesElyMD

1/🧵 WAKE UP - #COVID is a Ball & Chain for heart disease & stroke.
 
This 154,000 pt study & others solidify COVID as a PREDICTOR of a variety of CardioVascular Dzs.
 
Translation: #LongCOVID pts suffer heart attacks, strokes & much more.
 
#Vaccinate!
 
go.nature.com/3pxKjmi

2/ SHOCKER: Amazing work scientifically. Every med student is taught to gauge Cardiovascular risk history: Smoking, Obesity, HTN, Cholesterol, Family History…

Add COVID to the list. Solid data from @NatureMedicine of US Veterans used >11M contemporary + historical controls!

3/ Main figure shows both hazard ratios & excess burden per 1,000 persons of highlighted types of problems like strokes, V Tach & #POTS, myocarditis, heart attacks, heart failure & blood clots in 154,000 people 30 days after COVID vs. 5,637,647 contemporary controls.

4/ These data on #SARSCoV2 infection provide a GRIM answer to the question: What are COVID19’s long-term cardiovascular outcomes? Considering millions already infected & still UnVaxxed, this solidifies #LongCOVID as a major #PublicHealth nightmare.
 
JAMA: bit.ly/3C9N9mD

5/ The 154k patients avg 61 yo, 89% males, 71% White. Because this vascular dz study was so large, it also included ~17,000 female patients; ~37,000 Black patients; and almost 8000 Latino, Asian, American Indian, Native Hawaiian & patients of other races with COVID- 19.

6/ Bottom line: Patients with COVID were at ⬆️ risk of a broad range of cardiovascular disorders including cerebrovascular disorders, electrical rhythm problems, ischemic and non–ischemic heart 💔 disease, pericarditis, myocarditis, heart failure, and blood clots.

7/ Myocarditis
 
Because some COVID #vaccines are associated w rare myocarditis, they designed analyses to remove the effect of vaccination. The ⬆️ risk of myocarditis & pericarditis remained in people not vaccinated and was evident regardless of vaccine status.

8/ Surprises
 
Risks were highest for heart failure & atrial fibrillation, but the breadth of cardiovascular disease involvement was eye popping even in patients w COVID that never required hospitalization.

#LongCOVID happens in MILD disease.

https://twitter.com/WesElyMD/status/1483824487284023297?s=20&t=35KTgSzCEu1kdH2tWeZr6g

9/ This graph shows a variety of lower but still elevated heart stroke and clotting risks for people never hospitalized during acute COVID (green) who are the majority of people with COVID. The study did not analyze symptomatic vs asymptomatic infections.

10/🎥 Don’t forget that even young healthy people can get super sick, like this patient of mine who still has her 4 kids to raise after this devastating situation with her acute COVID.

Heartbreaking. I hope all will reconsider getting #Vaxxed.
 

https://twitter.com/WesElyMD/status/1478508187506647043?s=20&t=35KTgSzCEu1kdH2tWeZr6g

11/ The authors warn: “Our data showed COVID-19 may be an equal opportunity #offender.”

Risks were evident in young & old people, Black & White people, males & females, smokers & nonsmokers, and in those with & w/out diabetes.

12/fin
Getting COVID means you have a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease. If you had COVID or are high risk because you are immunocompromised or still unvaxxed, please #Mask & #Distance & watch for early signs or symptoms of heart disease

#LongCOVID bites.

#Vaccinate

By the way, vaccines were accounted for and remember that vaccination reduces risk of #LongCOVID:👇

https://twitter.com/weselymd/status/1499013243091800065