Patterns of cardiac involvement in patients with long COVID syndrome using cardiovascular magnetic resonance
Key result
Among 389 patients recovered from COVID-19, 77% had ongoing cardiovascular symptoms, which were associated with CMR findings of myopericardial inflammation including raised native T1 and T2.
Why the study?
Long COVID is a recognized late complication of COVID-19 infection with cardiovascular involvement, but the type and extent of underlying cardiovascular injury remained unknown.
Are ongoing cardiovascular symptoms in patients recently recovered from COVID-19 associated with abnormal cardiovascular magnetic resonance findings?
Population
389 patients recently recovered from COVID-19 illness without prior cardiovascular disease
Comparison
Patients with long COVID vs patients with no long COVID
Design
Prospective observational cohort study
Authors
Discussion
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Member takes
Implication
Symptoms may reflect CMR inflammation without systolic impairment; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
Study Design
Type
Cohort (n=389)
Structured PICO
Are ongoing cardiovascular symptoms in patients recently recovered from COVID-19 associated with abnormal cardiovascular magnetic resonance findings?
P
Population
389 patients recently recovered from COVID-19 with no prior cardiovascular disease, evaluated with CMR at a median of 94 days post-diagnosis.
E
Exposure
Long COVID (ongoing cardiovascular symptoms including dyspnea, palpitations, atypical chest pain and fatigue at least 4 weeks after infection)
C
Comparator
No long COVID (NLC, n=91)
O
Outcome
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) findings (native T1, native T2, pericardial enhancement, effusion, left and right ventricular ejection fraction and mass) and cardiac blood markerssurrogate
In patients recently recovered from COVID-19, ongoing cardiovascular symptoms are associated with CMR evidence of myopericardial inflammation (elevated native T1 and T2) but not with impaired ejection fraction.
Cite This Study
Püntmann et al. (2021) conducted a cohort in COVID-19 / Long COVID (n=389). Long COVID (ongoing cardiovascular symptoms) vs. No Long COVID was evaluated on Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) findings. Among 389 patients recovered from COVID-19, 77% had ongoing cardiovascular symptoms, which were associated with CMR findings of myopericardial inflammation including raised native T1 and T2.