Researchers have identified that there is an increased risk of higher levels of clotting in heart attack patients who had contracted Covid-19. Heart attack patients who suffered from Covid-19 had a significant amount of clotting in their arteries both before and after intervention, according to the North American COVID-19 STEMI (NACMI).
“Covid-19 is a pro-inflammatory, clot-forming disease and we now see its effect in the coronary arteries … These new insights point to the need for clinicians to be meticulous with blood thinning strategies, early interventions and patient follow-up,” said Payam Dehghani, Co-Director of Prairie Vascular Research Inc and Associate Professor at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, according to IANS.
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Importantly, clots were seen in multiple arteries in close to 30 per cent of patients, a phenomenon observed in less than five per cent of patients with heart attacks who do not have Covid-19, according to the analysis by The North American COVID-19 STEMI (NACMI).
ST-elevated myocardial infarction or STEMI type of heart attack is caused by the sudden, total blockage of a coronary artery.
Previous NACMI research has shown that mortality jumps to 20 per cent to 25 per cent in patients who present with Covid-19 and a heart attack.
For the study, angiograms of 234 patients from 17 sites (12 US, 5 Canada) were analysed.
Researchers note that further investigation is needed to better understand the impact of Covid-19 and heart attacks related vaccination as well as long-term outcomes.
The findings were presented at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2023 Scientific Sessions.
