US Researchers: "Risk of Heart Disease Doubles 3 Years After COVID-19 Infection... Risk Varies by Blood Type"

"O Type Blood, Lower Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke"

A study has found that the risk of heart attack and stroke can be more than doubled for up to three years after a COVID-19 infection. It also revealed that the risk of cardiovascular disease varies according to blood type.

On the 9th (local time), CNN reported this citing a paper published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology by researchers from the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Southern California (USC). The researchers announced that individuals with a history of COVID-19 infection have twice the risk of major cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke for about three years after infection compared to those who have not been infected with COVID-19.

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The researchers analyzed medical records of 250,000 people registered in the UK Biobank, comparing 11,000 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020 with 222,000 who were not infected during the same period.

The study found that those hospitalized due to COVID-19 had more than three times the risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those not infected. Furthermore, the increased risk of cardiovascular disease following COVID-19 infection did not decrease over time.

The researchers analyzed, "This shows that COVID-19 acts as a strong risk factor for heart attack and stroke, comparable to diabetes or peripheral artery disease (PAD)."

The study also confirmed that the risk of cardiovascular disease differs by blood type. Among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, those with blood type O had a lower risk of heart attack or stroke compared to those with blood types A, B, or AB.

While it is speculated that the gene determining blood type influences the increased risk of heart attack and stroke after COVID-19, the exact reason has not yet been identified, the researchers added. Dr. Stanley Hazen of the Cleveland Clinic, one of the paper’s authors, stated, "This study emphasizes the need to consider previous COVID-19 infection history when establishing cardiovascular disease prevention plans and targets."