How Does Covid-19 Affect the Heart?

While COVID-19 is caused by a severe acute respiratory syndrome, experts warn the virus can also impact heart function. The lungs play a critical role in bringing oxygen into the body and releasing carbon dioxide. When lung function is compromised due to COVID-19 damage, the organs can no longer provide oxygen to the heart. This can cause long-term damage to the heart and prevent oxygen from reaching other organs and tissues in the body.   

Oxygen deficiency and inflammation key concerns

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute warns COVID-19 can “lead to serious heart problems” caused by both lack of oxygen and inflammation. As the body responds to the virus, inflammation can spiral out of control and cause further damage to the heart. Excessive inflammation can also disturb the electrical signals that help regulate the heartbeat and pump blood through the body. For patients already suffering from arrhythmia, the damage can be severe.

Heart Research UK spearheads COVID-19 cardiovascular research

Researchers at the University of Dundee are currently researching the damaging effects of COVID-19 on blood vessels, with the study funded by national charity, Heart Research UK. Faisel Khan, Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences at the university’s School of Medicine is leading the project and suspects that abnormal activation of neutrophils could be linked to COVID-19 and cause damage to blood vessels in the cardiovascular system.

Neutrophils account for between 40% to 70% of all white blood cells in the human body. They play an important role in driving immunological responses, working to destroy bacteria, help the body fight off infections and repair wounds.  

“As Covid-19 is still a relatively new disease, we are still trying to understand how it affects the body,” says Khan. “We know that people with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions are more likely to suffer from serious complications, and that Covid-19 itself can damage the heart and blood vessels.”

Researchers aim to reduce neutrophil activation

The study builds on an existing body of research suggesting that drugs to reduce neutrophil activation can help manage the symptoms of bronchiectasis, an inflammatory lung disease.

“With this project, we hope to be able to better understand why and how Covid-19 damages the cardiovascular system, and hope to find new ways to prevent or reduce that damage, improving outcomes and quality of life for patients.”

For Chief Executive of Heart Research UK Kate Bratt-Farrar, the collaboration is an exciting opportunity to find out more about how COVID-19 impacts the cardiovascular system. With better insight into how the virus affects blood vessels, the team hope to develop a deeper understanding of how damage occurs and what can be done to improve patient outcomes.  

Find out more about the project, which will run over a 12-month period, in ‘Award Supports Investigation into Blood Vessel Damage caused by Covid-19.’