Key TakeawaysAlthough COVID-19 is a respiratory infection, it can cause serious heart problems, too.The American College of Cardiology (ACC) recently released a report about the evaluation and management of COVID-19-related heart issues.Those who experience cardiac symptoms after recovering from COVID-19 are recommended to consult their healthcare provider and/or get a cardiac evaluation before doing physical activity.

Key Takeaways

Although COVID-19 is a respiratory infection, it can cause serious heart problems, too.The American College of Cardiology (ACC) recently released a report about the evaluation and management of COVID-19-related heart issues.Those who experience cardiac symptoms after recovering from COVID-19 are recommended to consult their healthcare provider and/or get a cardiac evaluation before doing physical activity.

While it’s clear that COVID-19 is a respiratory infection, the virus can also affect the cardiovascular system and cause serious heart problems.

“COVID-19 is a respiratory virus and causes a predominantly respiratory disease, namely pneumonia,”Saurabh Rajpal, MBBS, cardiologist and assistant professor in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Verywell. “However, the cardiac and vascular effects of COVID-19 are also recognized.”

To provide actionable knowledge regarding the cardiovascular consequences of COVID-19, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) recently released clinical guidance for the evaluation and management of adults with myocarditis and long COVID. They also provided recommendations for athletes looking to return to exercise training after recovering from the infection.

Even Mild COVID Can Trigger Heart Disease One Year After Infection

How Does COVID-19 Affect the Heart?

COVID-19 mainly affects the heart through myocarditis—the inflammation of the heart muscle—or pericarditis, the inflammation of the lining of the heart,Jason Womack, MD, division chief of sports medicine and associate professor of family medicine at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, told Verywell.

“There are also manifestations of people having an increased risk of blood clots during and after COVID-19 infection,” he adds. “This doesn’t change how we treat COVID during an acute infection, but providers should be aware that these are potential consequences of infection that may need further evaluation and treatment.”

A recent study published inNature Medicinefound that patients who survive the acute phase of COVID-19 exhibited increased risks of various cardiovascular issues about one to 12 months after the infection compared to those who did not get COVID-19. These issues included heart disease, stroke, and arrhythmia, among others.

“Some patients also continue to have fast heart rates and postural dizziness after recovery from COVID-19, which could be a sign of vascular inflammation,” Rajpal said. “However, the vast majority of people who get COVID-19 recover without cardiovascular [conditions].”

What This Means For YouIf you are experiencing symptoms like chest pain, palpitations, orshortness of breath after recovering from COVID-19, consult a healthcare provider to know more about managing your condition.

What This Means For You

If you are experiencing symptoms like chest pain, palpitations, orshortness of breath after recovering from COVID-19, consult a healthcare provider to know more about managing your condition.

What Are the ACC’s Recommendations?

The ACC’s goal was to bring forward established literature on COVID-19-associated heart and vascular disease and develop recommendations after discussing among experts in the field, said Rajpal, who was part of the committee that formed the ACC clinical recommendations.

“This document attempts to answer commonly asked questions regarding [the] care of adults with COVID-19 and cardiac symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, etc. after COVID-19 infection,” he adds. “It is intended to give practical guidelines related to evaluation and management. This practical advice will be very useful to both patients and doctors.”

Heart Inflammation Is More Common From COVID-19 Infection Than Vaccines, Study Finds

Myocarditis

Viral infection is the most common cause of myocarditis. Research shows that it is a rare but serious COVID-19 complication.

The ACC guidance issued the following recommendations regarding the treatment and management of myocarditis and other forms of cardiac involvement:

According to the report, myocarditis after a COVID-19 vaccination is rare, and it should be diagnosed and treated similar to myocarditis that occurs after a COVID-19 infection.

Should You Get Your Heart Checked If You Had COVID-19?

Resuming Exercise

When returning to exercise after having COVID-19, it’s important to take things slow.

“People that have no symptoms after their COVID infection can return to activity gradually, but anyone that has symptoms suggestive of cardiac involvement—i.e. chest pain, shortness of breath, exercise intolerance, heart palpitation, etc.—should have a cardiac evaluation prior to a full return to activity,” Womack said.

Based on the report, athletes who are asymptomatic after recovering from COVID-19 may resume exercise training after going three days without it during self-isolation. Those with mild or moderate non-cardiopulmonary symptoms after COVID-19 may also resume exercise training when the symptoms go away completely.

Athletes may only resume exercise training without additional testing if it has been three or more months since the infection and there are no ongoing cardiopulmonary symptoms.

Moreover, those who have myocarditis must not exercise for three to six months.

How Athletes With Long COVID Are Adjusting Their Exercise Routine

Long COVID

Long COVID is generally defined as the variety of new, returning, or ongoing health problems patients experience four or more weeks after the initial COVID-19 infection.

The ACC recommends that individuals with long COVID who have the following are recommended to undergo cardiology consultation:

These individuals are recommended to do exercises lying down or semi-lying down like cycling, swimming, or rowing for about five to 10 minutes a day. They can increase exercise duration when their capacity gets better, or transition to upright exercise when their symptoms no longer worsen when standing or sitting up.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gluckman TJ, Bhave NM, Allen LA, et al.2022 ACC expert consensus decision pathway on cardiovascular sequelae of COVID-19 in adults: myocarditis and other myocardial involvement, post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and return to play: a report of the American College of Cardiology Solution Set Oversight Committee.J Am Coll Cardiol. Published online March 16, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2022.02.003Xie Y, Xu E, Bowe B, Al-Aly Z.Long-term cardiovascular outcomes of COVID-19.Nat Med. 2022;28(3):583-590. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-01689-3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Post-COVID conditions.

3 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gluckman TJ, Bhave NM, Allen LA, et al.2022 ACC expert consensus decision pathway on cardiovascular sequelae of COVID-19 in adults: myocarditis and other myocardial involvement, post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and return to play: a report of the American College of Cardiology Solution Set Oversight Committee.J Am Coll Cardiol. Published online March 16, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2022.02.003Xie Y, Xu E, Bowe B, Al-Aly Z.Long-term cardiovascular outcomes of COVID-19.Nat Med. 2022;28(3):583-590. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-01689-3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Post-COVID conditions.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Gluckman TJ, Bhave NM, Allen LA, et al.2022 ACC expert consensus decision pathway on cardiovascular sequelae of COVID-19 in adults: myocarditis and other myocardial involvement, post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and return to play: a report of the American College of Cardiology Solution Set Oversight Committee.J Am Coll Cardiol. Published online March 16, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2022.02.003Xie Y, Xu E, Bowe B, Al-Aly Z.Long-term cardiovascular outcomes of COVID-19.Nat Med. 2022;28(3):583-590. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-01689-3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Post-COVID conditions.

Gluckman TJ, Bhave NM, Allen LA, et al.2022 ACC expert consensus decision pathway on cardiovascular sequelae of COVID-19 in adults: myocarditis and other myocardial involvement, post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and return to play: a report of the American College of Cardiology Solution Set Oversight Committee.J Am Coll Cardiol. Published online March 16, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2022.02.003

Xie Y, Xu E, Bowe B, Al-Aly Z.Long-term cardiovascular outcomes of COVID-19.Nat Med. 2022;28(3):583-590. doi:10.1038/s41591-022-01689-3

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Post-COVID conditions.

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