World

Coronavirus Is Unique In Effects On The Heart, Say Researchers

By
OB Bureau

There have been many studies on the effects of coronavirus on the heart ever since the pandemic broke out in March last year. Heart damage in COVID-19 patients is caused by the novel coronavirus infecting cardiac muscle cells, leading to cell death which interferes with the muscle’s contraction.

Studies since the beginning of the pandemic have linked COVID-19 with heart problems such as reduced ability to pump blood. Scientists, including those from the Washington University School of Medicine in the US, said it was unknown until now if these are directly caused by the virus infecting the organ, or due to inflammation elsewhere in the body, NDTV reported quoting PTI.

Latest research

In the current research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Basic to Translational Science, they used stem cells to engineer cardiac tissue and modelled how the coronavirus infected the heart. The researchers found that viral infection not only kills heart muscle cells but destroys the muscle fibre units responsible for heart muscle contraction.

According to the scientists, this cell death and loss of heart muscle fibres can happen even in the absence of inflammation.

“Inflammation can be a second hit on top of damage caused by the virus, but the inflammation itself is not the initial cause of the heart injury,” study senior author Kory J. Lavine from the Washington University School of Medicine was quoted as saying.

Based on the study results, the researchers said the coronavirus is unique in the effect it has on the heart, especially in the immune cells that respond to the infection.

Immune response

“COVID-19 is causing a different immune response in the heart compared with other viruses, and we don’t know what that means yet,” Lavine was quoted as saying.

“Even young people who had very mild symptoms can develop heart problems later on that limit their exercise capacity,” Lavine said.

“We want to understand what’s happening so we can prevent it or treat it. In the meantime, we want everyone to take this virus seriously and do their best to take precautions and stop the spread, so we don’t have an even larger epidemic of preventable heart disease in the future,” he was quoted as saying.

 

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

Man Stabs Brother-In-Law To Death In Odisha’s Sundargarh

Sundargarh: Police arrested a man for allegedly killing his brother-in-law for torturing his sister in…

March 28, 2024

Heavyweight Collaboration: In A First, Reliance Picks Up 26% Stake In Adani Power Project

Mumbai: This is what you call a heavyweight collaboration. In a first-of-its-kind collaboration between rival…

March 28, 2024

PDS Queues Longer, Market Price Of Rice Higher As Kashmir Ditches Paddy For Apple Crop, Urbanisation

Mohammad Aatif Ammad Kanth Anantnag (Jammu & Kashmir): On a chilly winter morning, Irshad Bhat…

March 28, 2024

Odisha Polls: Former Chitrakonda MLA Dambaru Sisa Resigns From BJD

Bhubaneswar: The former MLA of BJD from Chitrakonda in Odisha's Malkangiri district, Dambaru Sisa, on…

March 28, 2024

LS Polls: JMM Nominates Anjani Soren For Odisha’s Mayurbhanj Seat

Bhubaneswar: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has announced Anjani Soren as its candidate for Lok…

March 28, 2024

IESA Signs MoU With Bhubaneswar’s BCKIC To Work In Critical Minerals & Energy Sector

Bhubaneswar: India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bhubaneswar City Knowledge…

March 28, 2024

Vigilance Nabs OSD In Odisha’s Nuapada Collectorate While Taking Bribe Of Rs 30,000

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Vigilance on Thursday apprehended an officer in the collectorate of Nuapada district while…

March 28, 2024

Odisha Javelin Star Kishore Jena Set For Diamond League Debut; Neeraj Chopra Among Strong Field

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s star javelin thrower Kishore Jena had a stellar season in 2023. And he’s…

March 28, 2024