SALT LAKE CITY – One year after the pandemic, doctors have noticed a trend: some patients with COVID-19 are recovering from heart disease, and heart complications contribute to many coronavirus-related deaths.
Intermountain Healthcare said recent studies show that 20% of patients with COVID-19 may have heart problems by the end of the disease.
Travis Smith can relate.
“I’ve always been under the assumption, I’m 30. I should be fine,” Smith said.
In July, Smith received the virus and began, as you might expect, with the typical symptoms – until one night.
“The only way I could describe that night was that I felt my heart trying to go between my rib cage and crawl right out,” he said.
When he was 8, Smith was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia or abnormally fast heartbeat. Since then, he has experienced about two episodes a year. Since he had COVID-19, he has about five episodes a week.
“You hear it’s a respiratory virus, so everyone is worried about their lungs and their breathing,” he said. “The biggest COVID factor for me was heart problems.”
Smith is not alone.
“It’s pretty clear that COVID can affect the heart of a minority or a subset of patients,” said Dr. Kirk Knowlton, chief of cardiology at the Intermountain Healthcare Heart Institute.
In addition, heart complications can increase how severe the virus is and the risk of death. A recent study showed that heart problems can contribute to about 40% of all coronavirus-related deaths.
“It’s even more important to keep them from being exposed to COVID and also to be aggressive about vaccination,” Knowlton said of those with cardiovascular complications. “It’s probably the best tool we have to make sure we don’t suffer from COVID-related heart disease.”
Knowlton also urged those with heart complications to receive the medical care they need when they need it.
“There have been too many stories about people who, unfortunately, are afraid they will receive COVID and wait. And either they have a heart attack or some have died right at home,” he said. “This is a real issue that we are very concerned about is making sure that people come to deal with it.”
For the time being, Smith’s operating days are waiting. His heart just can’t stand it. His cardiologist doesn’t know how long it could take.
“Unfortunately, that’s the hand he’s been giving me lately,” he said.
You can be sure that they will hurry to receive the vaccine next week when the first dose becomes available to those aged 18 and over with heart problems and other medical conditions.
“Pretty excited that this line has finally come to us,” he said.