COVID doubles the risk of a heart attack, stroke or dying up to three years later, a new study warns. The danger is even higher among people with blood types A, B or AB who were infected with the virus compared to those with type O, say scientists. They reviewed data from more than 10,000 adults aged over 50, including around 8,000 who tested positive for Covid-19 from February 1 to December 31, 2020, and about 2,000 who tested positive for the virus in hospital in 2020.
A group of more than 200,000 adults who had no history of Covid infection during the same time frame and who were also taking part in the ongoing UK Biobank study were reviewed for comparison. None of the participants were vaccinated at the time of infection because Covid-19 jabs were not yet available. Researchers found that adults who had mild to severe Covid were more likely to have suffered a heart attack , stroke or died during the following three years.
Read more on Covid The elevated risk of heart attack, stroke or death linked to Covid-19 infection was comparable to cardiovascular risk factors such as Type 2 diabetes , peripheral artery disease and cardiovascular disease, according to the findings. The study, published in the journal Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology , also found that having a non-O blood type was associated with an increased risk of a heart attack, stroke or death among those who were infected by Covid. The American research team say their findings suggest that people .
