Heart function is normal in most people who have had COVID-19
Impaired heart function does not seem to be the reason why it takes a long time for some to recover after undergoing COVID-19.
![A computer on a table](/49f965/contentassets/d1deea6c96374d95bebe4acf466d3967/ultralyd-hjerte-ii-foto-oystein-horgmo-uio.webp?format=webp&width=900&height=600&quality=80)
One of the complications you can get due to COVID-19 infection is inflammation of the heart muscle. This condition is called myocarditis, and can cause symptoms such as palpitations, difficulties breathing, disturbance of the heart rhythm and pressure on the chest. However, a new study provides good reason for optimism regarding cardiac function after undergoing COVID-19. In a new study, researchers found that heart function was normal in most people a few months after having been hospitalised with COVID-19 infection.
– Our study shows that most of the patients who have undergone a COVID-19 infection are doing well. Most people’s heart function was normal after recovery, says former researcher at the Institute of Clinical Medicine, Jorun Tangen.
Hypertensive heart disease is caused by high blood pressure over time, and reduces the heart’s ability to pump blood around the body. However, this disease did not explain the reduced cardiac function in these six patients. Tangen explains that we can therefore imagine that the change in heart function is a consequence of complications related to COVID-19.
Related researchers
Jorunn Tangen, MD/PhD fellow, OUS
Thor Edvardsen, MD/Professor, OUS