Alterations of Left Ventricular Function Persisting during Post-Acute COVID-19 in Subjects without Previously Diagnosed Cardiovascular Pathology

• Main Authors: Mariana Tudoran, Cristina Tudoran, Voichita Elena Lazureanu, Adelina Raluca Marinescu, Gheorghe Nicusor Pop, Alexandru Silvius Pescariu, Alexandra Enache, Talida Georgiana Cut
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-03-01
• Series: Journal of Personalized Medicine
• Subjects: COVID-19; heart failure; inflammation; cytokine storm; transthoracic echocardio-graphy; left ventricular systolic dysfunction
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4426/11/3/225

(1) Background: Coronavirus infection (Covid-19) has emerged as a severe medical condition, associated with high pulmonary morbidity and often with cardiovascular (CV) complications. This study aims to evidence the persistence of left ventricular (LV) systolic function (LV-SF) alterations and diastolic dysfunction (DD) in COVID-19 patients without history of cardiovascular (CV) diseases by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). (2) Methods: 125 patients, aged under 55 years, hospitalized during the first outbreak of Covid-19 for moderate pneumonia, underwent a comprehensive cardiologic examination and TTE at 6–10 weeks after discharge. Their initial in-hospital laboratory data and thorax computer tomography (TCT) were accessed from the electronic database of the hospital. (3) Results: with TTE, we documented alterations of LV-SF and DD in 8.8% of patients and in 16.8% only patterns of DD, statistically correlated with the initial levels of creatin-kinase (CK-MB) and inflammatory factors. Multivariate regression analysis evidenced that CK-MB levels, age, and body mass index (BMI) are responsible for 65% of LV-SF decrease. (4) Conclusions: Alterations of LV-SF and DD are frequent in post-acute COVID-19 infection and are responsible for the persistence of symptoms. Elevated myocardial necrosis markers during the acute phase seem to predict subsequent alteration of cardiac performance.