Impact of COVID-19 on Cholesterol | Time

N.Shortly after the global coronavirus pandemic began, it was clear that many people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were developing persistent and sometimes debilitating health problems.now post-corona syndrome, or long coronavirus, the most common symptoms of this condition are fatigue, attention problems, headaches, muscle or joint pain, and weakness. But those are just the beginning. Medical researchers have also linked SARS-CoV-2 to lingering complications in multiple organs and systems, and recent studies have shown that emerging cholesterol problems are a common, albeit less recognized, problem. It has been revealed that it may be a complication of the new coronavirus infection.

“We have done research on the long-term effects of infectious diseases and found that many patients experienced fatigue, foggy-headedness, and other symptoms most people associate with long-coronavirus. We knew he was coming in with symptoms,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Ali. , Director of the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Director of Research and Development Services, VA St. Louis Health Care System. “However, we have seen people who previously had no metabolic problems develop diabetes or hyperlipidemia. I decided to.”

According to a study published in the January 2023 issue of the journal The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, Al-Aly and colleagues examined the health records of more than 150,000 users of the VA health system. They found that unvaccinated people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were significantly more likely to become infected. develop high cholesterol They had unhealthy blood fat levels than uninfected people. “We found that people with COVID-19 are at increased risk of cholesterol problems, including increased LDL, increased total cholesterol, increased triglycerides, and decreased levels of so-called good cholesterol. “It was a very clear signal,” he said. “And these were all new occurrences, which meant that people with no history of cholesterol problems had symptoms.”

How common are these complications, according to his research results? To tell. “It may sound small, but if we’re talking about billions of people infected, this means that millions of people around the world have cholesterol problems they didn’t have before. It could mean.”

Al-Ali’s work isn’t the only study linking COVID-19 to cholesterol problems. Other high-quality studies have found the same association. Many questions remain unanswered, but experts who have investigated this post-COVID-19 phenomenon say it poses serious health risks to millions of Americans, but it is not their own. He says there are things he can do to protect himself.

Evidence of further connections

Journal for August 2022 lancet infection Published a novel coronavirus study focusing on unvaccinated Swiss military personnel. “Shortly after the pandemic began, the Swiss Army Surgeon General commissioned a study aimed at investigating the impact of COVID-19 on young recruits,” said the principal investigator of the study, Swiss Confederation. University professor Dr. Patricia Schlagenhauf says: Institute for Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention, University of Zurich, Switzerland. The average age of the 501 people who participated in her group’s study was 21, and all were healthy enough to participate in military training. Researchers compared the health status of people with and without COVID-19, and analyzes included metabolic, pulmonary, cardiovascular, reproductive, and psychiatric symptoms and conditions. “We were very surprised to see little difference between the groups,” says Schlagenhauf. “But there were some important differences, one of which was that the previously infected group had higher blood cholesterol, BMI and LDL than those who had never been exposed to the virus.” Essentially, her study yielded the same results as the VA study, albeit with a younger group of people and a different testing method.

How could COVID-19 cause cholesterol problems in people who had no signs of elevated blood lipids before infection? “I can’t answer that,” Schlagenhauf said. To tell. “Some people say that people with COVID-19 may not have exercised as much, or they may have stayed home and ate more, but I don’t think that is the reason. ”

Al-Ali agreed that it was impossible to say with certainty what caused cholesterol problems in people with COVID-19, but said several plausible hypotheses had been proposed. . “One of them has to do with gut microbiome abnormalities,” he says. The human oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract are home to trillions of bacteria that aid in various metabolic processes, including the breakdown and absorption of food molecules. “If the microbiome is disturbed after infection, it can lead to metabolic disturbances such as elevated cholesterol,” he says. Supporting this hypothesis, several studies suggest that novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can disrupt the composition of the human microbiome, and that individuals who develop microbiome disruption after infection may It indicates that the risk of long-term COVID-19 complications may be higher.

“Another hypothesis is that the virus may not be a fully viable virus, but may persist in the body as fragments, which may cause mild chronic inflammation and disrupt normal metabolic mechanisms. ” he says. In this scenario, the virus may not be detectable by standard tests, but the remaining viral debris triggers a “chronic stress-like situation” that stores calories in the body and converts them to fat. It’s possible, he says. This can lead to high cholesterol, high triglycerides and other metabolic complications, his research found.Here again some research long coronavirus (and other types of post-viral syndromes) in which fragments of viral genes continue to affect the body’s metabolism and immune function even after all viable and infectious parts of the virus have been cleared, resulting in continuation of: found to cause serious health problems. High cholesterol.

read more: how to lower cholesterol naturally

many unanswered questions

The evidence is compelling that SARS-CoV-2 could pose a new cholesterol problem. However, it is unclear whether these cholesterol problems are permanent or temporary.

“We were looking at people more than six months after the COVID-19 outbreak,” Schlagenhauf said. She and her group are planning a follow-up study with the same study participants. The study should provide important data on the persistence of long-term COVID-19 symptoms and complications, including cholesterol problems. However, at this time, we do not know if the blood lipid problems identified in her study will persist indefinitely. Al-Ali says much the same about her own group’s study (although in his paper the cholesterol problem was still present a full year after infection).

It is also unclear whether SARS-CoV-2 is the sole cause of the new-onset health problems observed in these studies. Al-Ali said some people may have had cholesterol problems even if they weren’t infected with SARS-CoV-2. “We found that people who already had risk factors for hyperlipidemia were at increased risk of developing hyperlipidemia after infection,” he says. (According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, risk factors for high cholesterol include pre-existing health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and obesity, as well as a history of smoking and poor diet.) Ally says. First, infections may be the sole cause of new-onset high cholesterol and related health problems. “Or two, the virus may be accelerating existing problems,” he says. In other words, people who would have developed cholesterol problems in 5 or 10 years now have cholesterol problems sooner because of the infection. “Both things can happen,” he added.

The long-term health effects of post-COVID-19 metabolic and cholesterol changes are also data gaps that can only be filled with time and follow-up. “At the levels we observed, these changes could lead to heart attack, stroke, and all other complications associated with high cholesterol and triglycerides,” says Al-Ali. However, it is not yet known whether these complications occur.

Finally, previous studies are based on infections with early forms of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. “Our study predates his Omicron, so it’s possible that newer variants don’t have the same effect,” he says Schlagenhauf. However, she wonders if that is the case. “I think the mechanism that causes the change is probably similar in all subspecies,” she says. Again, only time and follow-up will provide a definitive answer.

read more: 5 Best Ways to Control High Cholesterol, According to People with Hypercholesterolemia

how to protect yourself

pandemic may have peakedHowever, the risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 does not disappear immediately. Although widespread vaccination has reduced the severity of the virus and somewhat reduced the risk of long-term complications of COVID-19, many people are still at risk of cholesterol and metabolic problems after infection. There is a possibility that

What can you do to protect yourself? Despite a lack of solid data, an Al-Aly study found that vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 reduced the risk of hyperlipidemia by 20% It has been found to There are other reasons to think that vaccines may provide some protection. “We’ve found that the severity of the initial infection really matters,” he says. Some people who had asymptomatic COVID-19 developed cholesterol problems, but those who had severe symptoms at the time of initial infection were documented in his study. They are much more likely to have lingering coronavirus metabolic problems, he said. “People who needed ICU care or who were hospitalized were at higher risk,” he says. Vaccination helps reduce the risk of both severe COVID-19 and long-term COVID-19 symptoms and, although evidence is lacking, also protects against metabolic and cholesterol complications. It is reasonable to think that it is possible.

Al-Ali said it would be prudent for infected people, whether vaccinated or not, to have their blood lipids tested by a health care provider, especially adults who are already at risk for high cholesterol. there is “If you’ve had an infection, you can say you have a risk factor for hyperlipidemia, so our advice is to test yourself to identify any abnormalities or abnormalities,” he said. increase. “Early detection and management of high cholesterol leads to better outcomes.”

if your health care provider identifies elevated cholesterol, or triglyceride levelAl Ali, is an advocate of exercise, healthy eating, statin Or other cholesterol-lowering drugs are appropriate. “Of course, it needs to be discussed between patients and providers, but all the usual treatments are applicable,” he points out.

Unfortunately, it is certain that the effects of the pandemic will continue to affect human health in many ways for years to come. Metabolism and cholesterol issues may be part of the viral legacy. But experts say good monitoring can protect against some of the most dangerous risks, such as virus-related cholesterol and metabolic complications. Additionally, follow-up studies should help researchers better understand Long coronavirus risks and remedies. After all, the lessons of this pandemic may help protect people from future viruses.

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