ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has generated a practically unsustainable international sanitary burden, reaching the pandemic status. Although the infection may occur in all kinds of individuals, advanced age and the presence of multiple comorbidities have been positively correlated with infection rates and mortality. The lungs appear to be the tar-get organs of the infection;however, it is not infrequent for patients to present the affectation of other tissues. Interestingly, cerebrovascular disease (CVD) has been reported in some severe cases of COVID-19. Moreover, stroke has been proposed as a possible form of presentation for COVID-19. Despite the prepondering role of age and the history of dis-orders, such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus in the development of CVD, these do not appear to be the sole under-lying mechanisms in patients with COVID-19. Patients with CVD have been noted to show a worse prognosis regarding COVID-19, suggesting a bidirectional relationship between these entities. This review aims to revise the pathophysiological mechanisms explaining the connection between CVD and COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has generated a practically unsustainable sanitary burden internationally, reaching the pandemic status. Although the infection may occur in all kinds of individuals, advanced age and the presence of multiple comorbidities have been positively correlated with infection rates and mortality. The lungs appear to be the target organs of the infection;however, it is not infrequent for patients to present with affectation of other tissues. Interestingly, cerebrovascular disease (CVD) has been reported in some severe cases of COVID-19. Moreover, stroke has been proposed as a possible form of presentation for COVID-19. Despite the prepondering role of age and the history of disorders, such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus in the development of CVD, these do not appear to be the sole underlying mechanisms in patients with COVID-19. Patients with CVD have been noted to show a worse prognosis regarding COVID-19, suggesting a bidirectional relationship between these entities. This review aims to revise the pathophysiological mechanisms explaining the connection between CVD and COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become an emerging pandemic, dominating the current outlook in pub- lic health. The typical clinical picture of COVID-19 encom- passes flu-like symptoms;including fever predominantly dry cough, dyspnea, asthenia, odynophagia, rhinorrhea, and headache. However, some patients may also develop cardiovascular manifestations, such as acute cardiac injury, heart failure, shock, and arrhythmias, among others. The pa- thogeny underlying this link has not been clarified;however, SARS-CoV-2 has been observed to penetrate cells via the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, an important participant in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone systemand the regulation of the cardiovascular system. The use of angiotensin-con- verting enzymeinhibitors and angiotensin II receptor antago- nistsmay cause upregulation of ACE2 and facilitate viral en- try. COVID-19 has also been related to various forms of co- agulopathy, with a tendency to favor pro-thrombotic states, increasing cardiovascular risk. The objective of this article is to explore the link between COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease, and its repercussions in clinical management.