Key result
Prior mild COVID-19 is not linked to abnormal stress myocardial blood flow versus matched controls.
Why the study?
It is unknown if myocardial perfusion is altered after mild COVID-19 infection, despite known effects in severe cases.
Does mild COVID-19 infection alter myocardial blood flow and microvascular function as measured by stress CMR?
Observational (n=56)
Does mild COVID-19 infection alter myocardial blood flow and microvascular function as measured by stress CMR?
Absolute Event Rate: 3.08% vs 3.06%
p-value: p=0.91
Mild COVID-19 infection does not appear to cause significant long-term abnormalities in rest or stress myocardial perfusion and microvascular function.
No microvascular dysfunction after mild COVID-19; leaves open symptom mechanisms and requires larger prospective studies.
Severe COVID-19 infection is known to alter myocardial perfusion through its effects on the endothelium and microvasculature. However, the majority of patients with COVID-19 infection experience only mild symptoms, and it is unknown if their myocardial perfusion is altered after infection. The authors aimed to determine if there are abnormalities in myocardial blood flow (MBF), as measured by stress cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), in individuals after a mild COVID-19 infection. We conducted a prospective, comparative study of individuals who had a prior mild COVID-19 infection (n = 30) and matched controls (n = 26) using stress CMR. Stress and rest myocardial blood flow (sMBF, rMBF) were quantified using the dual sequence technique. Myocardial perfusion reserve was calculated as sMBF/rMBF. Unpaired t-tests were used to test differences between the groups. The median time interval between COVID-19 infection and CMR was 5.6 (IQR: 4-8) months. No patients with the COVID-19 infection required hospitalization. Symptoms including chest pain, shortness of breath, syncope, and palpitations were more commonly present in the group with prior COVID-19 infection than in the control group (57% vs 7%, P < 0.001). No significant differences in rMBF (1.08 ± 0.27 mL/g/min vs 0.97 ± 0.29 mL/g/min, P = 0.16), sMBF (3.08 ± 0.79 mL/g/min vs 3.06 ± 0.89 mL/g/min, P = 0.91), or myocardial perfusion reserve (2.95 ± 0.90 vs 3.39 ± 1.25, P = 0.13) were observed between the groups. This study suggests that there are no significant abnormalities in rest or stress myocardial perfusion, and thus microvascular function, in individuals after mild COVID-19 infection.
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Karagodin et al. (2024) conducted an observational in Mild COVID-19 infection (n=56). Prior mild COVID-19 infection vs. Matched controls was evaluated on Stress myocardial blood flow (sMBF) (p=0.91). Prior mild COVID-19 infection was not associated with significant abnormalities in stress myocardial blood flow compared to matched controls (3.08 vs 3.06 mL/g/min; P=0.91).
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