COVID-19 doesn’t just attack the lungs—it can silently damage your heart, even after mild cases. Studies indicate that individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 face a doubled risk of heart attacks, strokes, and even death for up to three years post-infection, with the risk quadrupling for those who were hospitalized. COVID-19 can cause inflammation leading to arrhythmias, blood clots, myocarditis, and heart failure, even in adults and children even if they have never had prior cardiovascular issues. Read the articles below to find out more.
*indicates peer-reviewed studies
*Cardiovascular Post-acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 in Children and Adolescents: Cohort Study Using Electronic Health Records Nature Communications No 16, Article number 3445. Zhang, B., Thacker, D., Zhou, T. et al. April 11, 2025.
COVID-19 May Increase Heart Attack and Stroke Risk for Years American Heart Association Laura Williamson, October 9, 2024.
*COVID-19 Is a Coronary Artery Disease Risk Equivalent and Exhibits a Genetic Interaction With ABO Blood Type AHA/ASA Journals Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology Volume 44, No. 11. Roham Hadidchi, Porsche Lee, Shawn Qiu, Sagar Changela, Sonya Henry, Tim Q. Duong. October 9, 2024.
*Heart Problems After Covid Cleveland Clinic, January 25, 2024.
How Does COVID-19 Affect Your Heart? British Heart Foundation December 16, 2024
COVID’s Damage Lingers in the Heart Harvard Medicine. Charles Schmidt. October 2023.
Severe COVID-19 Infection Increases Heart Attack and Stroke Risk as Much as Having a History of Heart Disease, Study Finds Keck School of Medicine USC. Zara Abrams. October 9, 2024.
*SARS-CoV-2 Infection Association with Atherosclerotic Plaque Progression at Coronary CT Angiography and Adverse Cardiovascular Events RSNA Radiology Vol 314, No 2. Neng Dai, Xianglin Tang, Yiqing Hu, et al. February 4, 2025.
COVID-19 Speeds Up Artery Plaque Growth, Raising Heart Disease Risk News Medical Life Science Dr. Chinta Sidharthan. February 5, 2025.
Heart-disease Risk Soars After COVID — Even With a Mild Case Nature. Saima May Sidik. February 10, 2022
How the Virus Behind COVID-19 Can Harm Your Blood Vessels and Your Heart American Heart Association. Laura Williamson, January 16, 2025.
Long-Term Prognosis of Patients With Myocarditis Attributed to COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 Infection, or Conventional Etiologies JAMA 332(16):1367-1377. Semenzato L, Le Vu S, Botton J, et al. August 26, 2024.