Covid- 19 and Myocardium

Context: 

The COVID-19 pandemic has involved several millions of people around the world and has dragged thousands of individuals to death. Unfortunately, it seems to be unstoppable for the near future. This review aimed to have a comprehensive appraisal on the latest studies conducted on different aspects of myocardial injury related to COVID-19. Evidence Acquisition: The researchers searched for accredited international investigations, whether original, review, letters, or commentaries or any other published data, in Pubmed/Medline, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library, and Research Gate databases.

Although the dominant manifestation of the disease was related to the respiratory system, a growing body of evidence has suggested that the cardiovascular system was also a target for SARS-CoV-2. In this regard, myocardium suffered injury by possible direct and indirect mechanisms. Two patterns of myocardial injury were seen particularly in critical cases of COVID-19; presentation with acute myocardial injury and development of myocardial injury with escalation of the viral illness. In the case of myocardial damage, a cascade of life-threatening adverse events will deteriorate the functions of the cardiovascular system as well as other vital organs. Cardiac biomarkers are helpful for early diagnosis of myocardial injury. Hypertension, previous cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes have been considered to be the foremost clinical risk factors in the setting of COVID-19. The jeopardy of arrhythmia, thrombotic complications, acute myocardial infarction, and myocarditis are also anticipated in patients with COVID-19. Thrombolytics have been found to contribute substantially to life-saving treatment regimen.

Cardiovascular damage in terms of myocardial injury has been assigned a considerable share in patients with COVID-19, which is of paramount importance due to the elevation of the fatality rate. While there is no exclusive medication for this viral uninvited guest, much attention should be paid to maintenance of cardiovascular health, which plays a critical role in the battlefield with COVID-19.