Clinical Significance of Myocardial Injury in Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19

BACKGROUND Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with troponin elevation have a higher prevalence of cardiac abnormalities than control individuals.However, the progression and impact of myocardial injury on COVID-19 survivors remain unclear.OBJECTIVES This study sought to evaluate myocardial injury in COVID-19 survivors with troponin elevation with baseline and follow-up imaging and to assess medium-term outcomes.METHODS This was a prospective, longitudinal cohort study in 25 United Kingdom centers (June 2020 to March 2021).Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with myocardial injury underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) scans within 28 days and 6 months postdischarge.Outcomes were tracked for 12 months, with quality of life surveys (EuroQol-5 Dimension and 36-Item Short Form surveys) taken at discharge and 6 months. RESULTSOf 342 participants (median age: 61.3 years; 71.1% male) with baseline CMR, 338 had a 12-month follow-up, 235 had a 6-month CMR, and 215 has baseline and follow-up quality of life surveys.Of 338 participants, within 12 months, 1.2% died; 1.8% had new myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, or coronary revascularization; 0.8% had new myopericarditis; and 3.3% had other cardiovascular events requiring hospitalization.At 6 months, there was a minor improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (1.8% AE 1.0%; P < 0.001), stable right ventricular ejection fraction (0.4% AE 0.8%; P ¼ 0.50), no change in myocardial scar pattern or volume (P ¼ 0.26), and no imaging evidence of continued myocardial inflammation.All pericardial effusions (26 of 26) resolved, and most pneumonitis resolved (95 of 101).EuroQol-5 Dimension scores indicated an overall improvement in quality of life (P < 0.001).CONCLUSIONS Myocardial injury in severe hospitalized COVID-19 survivors is nonprogressive.Medium-term outcomes show a low incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events and improved quality of life.(COVID-19 Effects on the Heart; ISRCTN58667920) (JACC