Global insights of acute cardiovascular complications of COVID-19: Findings from the CARDIO COVID 19–20 and WHF COVID-19 CVD studies

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 can cause acute and chronic cardiovascular complications. Acute complications include heart failure, coronary syndrome, arrhythmias, myocarditis, pulmonary embolism, etc. These complications are linked to pre-existing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and increase the risk of adverse outcomes. We characterized acute cardiovascular complications in COVID-19 patients from 32 countries. Methods: This cohort study combined two prospective, multicenter studies of hospitalized adults with COVID-19: the CARDIO COVID 19–20 registry and the WHF COVID-19 CVD study. We performed descriptive and multivariate analyses to assess the incidence of cardiovascular complications, associated factors, and their correlation with mortality.