SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers inflammatory responses in human heart vessels | Hacker News Reader

SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers inflammatory responses in human heart vessels

nature.com

33 pointsbelltaco9 comments

This seems to describe the heart challenges I was going through for almost two years with long covid. That covid can infect the arteries of the heart and make the fatty plaque inside the arteries highly inflamed and acts as a reservoir for the virus.

I would feel like I was going to have a heart attack at any given moment and regular heart palpitations, but all cardiologists would clear me through tests.

That's my naive understanding of this research. Anyone care to help explain further?

Wouldn't the cardiologists be able to scan your arteries and see they are inflamed ? Honest question ?

They must have some way of doing this because how else do they know to prescribe stents ?

It may be subclinical inflammation in some/most patients. Just because something is inflamed/there is an inflammatory process, doesn’t mean it’ll necessarily be bad enough to get picked up by the standard examinations or tests. I had long-lasting palpitations after COVID, despite completely normal ambulatory ECG and repeated echocardiograms. Took around 2-3 years to settle down to almost pre-COVID levels today.

Same

It's there any direct evidence the arterial plaques can act as reservoirs for this virus? That seems highly unlikely.

Read the paper?

Are you doing better now?

I am, thank you for asking.

It has been two years of hell but most of the heart stuff has largely gone away with time.

Good to hear. I was in the ER in March 2020 initially because I thought I was having a heart attack but ultimately with what I assume was COVID. It's been a journey but I am doing much better now too. For about 2 years I had bad palpitations too but they've mostly gone away and the fatigue is beginning to subside.

One thing I noticed which might have been completely anecdotal but I felt like my first vaccine jumpstarted my recovery. If you don't mind me asking: if you got the vaccine did you notice the same?

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