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.
