The impact of cardiac complications on COVID-19 outcomes

This review discusses cardiac complications in patients with coronavirus disease – 2019 (COVID-19). The data from 65 articles published from 2020 to 2023 were reviewed, except one study on the pathophysiology of the coronavirus published in 2015. The prevalence, probable mechanisms of the development of cardiac complications of COVID-19, and early and late outcomes of the disease were analyzed. Heart rhythm and conduction disorders, acute coronary syndrome, myocarditis, heart failure, and pericardial damage were the most often associated with COVID-19. Cardiovascular diseases are common risk factors for various infectious diseases, including COVID-19, and are also predictors of poor in-hospital and long-term prognosis. Possible mechanisms of cardiac damage are the high affinity of the SARS-CoV-2 adhesion protein to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors, cytokine storm, ischemia, inflammation, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Accumulated data should be systematised to create evidence-based recommendations and clinical protocols.