What is the risk of continued heart disease after COVID? Experts say athlete research is not clear

As college athletes return to the sports team during the COVID-19 pandemic, cardiology experts are wary of the potential long-term effects of the virus on healthy young people.

Can COVID-19 affect the minds of people who are constantly engaged in rigorous physical activity? And how much?

In a recent study-albeit small-some COVID-19 patients had signs of myocarditis, a condition in which the myocardium was inflamed, and appeared on MRI scans of the heart.

Myocarditis is rare and often heals spontaneously, but in some cases it can be fatal.

“We tend to think that anything that doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, but that’s definitely not true. Anything that doesn’t kill you can leave permanent damage to your body.” Many people recover from COVID, but few do not.

“And it’s not just about dead or alive, it’s about the consequences of persistent damage.”

In a study at Ohio State University, Twenty-six athletes who previously tested positive for COVID-19 underwent cardiac MRI. The scan showed evidence of scarring and other myocarditis in 15%, while another 30% had damage or swelling that was not clearly associated with the syndrome.

Dr. James McKinney, a UBC cardiologist, says that 15% (4 out of 26 patients) have a much higher diagnosis of myocarditis than expected.

However, this study did not perform MRI on the same athlete prior to the COVID infection, so there is no way to tell if the scar was already there.

“Although different types of influenza viruses are associated, we don’t know if SARS-CoV-2 has a higher incidence of myocarditis,” McKinney said. “A better study would be if you had a player with a COVID and a player who came in after the flu and are looking at an MRI to compare.

“COVID-19 is more likely to cause myocardial damage than the common cold virus, but I’m not sure.”

When the virus affects the heart, it causes an inflammatory response, explained Jack Goodman, a professor of heart health and exercise at the University of Toronto.

The mortality rate for viral myocarditis is “1-2 in 1 million”.

“So it doesn’t happen very often, but it’s a concern,” Goodman said.

Due to concerns about COVID-19, the NCAA’s Big Ten Conference, including Ohio, has canceled its fall sports schedule in August. The meeting overturned that decision last week, which said it would start the football season next month.

U Sports, Canada’s governing body for college athletics, has abolished all fall championships, but leaves the cancellation of each sports season to the school and the conference itself. Some are practicing soccer even though they don’t have a real game.

Myocarditis is associated with the sudden death of young athletes, according to McKinney, but in the absence of symptoms, it is difficult to decipher the potential risk of the condition.

Of the 26 athletes scanned in the Ohio survey, only two reported shortness of breath. Echocardiogram (echocardiography) and electrocardiogram (ECG) have also returned to normal.

“The presence of scars does not necessarily mean a clinical diagnosis of myocarditis,” McKinney said. “And we don’t know the long-term prognosis of scars-will it be resolved or will it have extreme consequences?”

Many prominent athletes have tested positive for COVID-19, including the world’s number one tennis player Novak Djokovic and Denver Broncos linebacker von Miller. However, few people develop myocarditis.

Eduardo Rodríguez, a 27-year-old Boston Red Sox pitcher, is one of them, missing the MLB season with doctors believing that it was due to his previous COVID infection.

Whether you’re a professional athlete or an amateur gym enthusiast, McKinney says people recovering from COVID-19 shouldn’t exercise for at least a week after their symptoms are completely resolved.

At that point you can gradually recover, he says, but you should stop when you have heart problems.

“If you feel palpitations, have a heart ache, get too fast, or feel dizzy or fainting due to exercise, chest pain, or shortness of breath, see your doctor,” McKinney said. A group of cardiologists and professionals writing guidelines for returning to sports after a COVID infection.

Goodman says he will also give advice on colds and flu. If you have symptoms, “don’t exercise”.

Myocarditis is rare, but infectious disease expert Dr. Zain Chagla of McMaster University said the worldwide epidemic of COVID could be expected to increase the number of cases of viral myocarditis. I have.

He emphasized that most patients with myocarditis return to normal, but others “will maintain chronic heart complications, heart failure, and sometimes serious illnesses that require transplantation.

“So I’m worried about something that causes myocarditis.”

Labos, who also holds a degree in epidemiology, says COVID can have lasting effects on various parts of the body, including the brain, lungs, and heart. And its full range is still unknown.

He emphasized that most young people infected with COVID-19 are more likely to recover, but the best way to avoid possible COVID complications is to avoid the virus in the first place.

“So stay home, put on a mask, wash your hands, do all the basics.”

This report by the Canadian Press was first published on September 23, 2020.