COVID-19 Increases Risk of Heart Attack in Patients With Previous Myocardial Infarction

COVID-19 infection increases the risk of thromboembolic events (TEE), particularly myocardial infarction (MI), in patients with prior MI, according to a study to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2023, taking place November 11-13 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and published in the journal Circulation.

“The pathology of coagulopathy in patients with COVID-19 infection is not fully understood, and it is believed to differ from the other critical illness,” the researchers wrote. In this study, they sought to assess the incidence and type of TEE, specifically MI, in patients who were hospitalized with a COVID-19 infection with a prior MI. They postulated that a COVID-19 infection would augment the rate of new TEE regardless of patient age or gender.

In this retrospective analysis, researchers assessed 16,903 patients with COVID-19 infection who developed TEE during the course of their hospital stay between February and August 2020. The population of interest was categorized by prior history of MI, age (<55 vs ≥55), and gender.

The results showed that in COVD-19-infected individuals admitted to the hospital, 1.2% developed TEE (89% were male). The researchers observed that in patients with prior MI, 92.5% developed another MI. They noted that new MI was more evident in young male patients who had prior MI; however, it was also reported in young male patients with no prior MI.

“The rate of TEE, particularly MI, increases after COVID-19 infection in patients with prior MI. Age and gender had great impact on the occurrence of TEE as well,” the researchers concluded.