According to WHO data, until February 17, 2023, 756,581,850 cases of covid-19 infection have been detected in the world.
In Mexico, a total of 225,063,079 doses of vaccines have been applied until February 10, 2023.
According to WHO data, the confirmed cases accumulated from the beginning of the pandemic until February 17, 2023 are 7,414,918 in Mexico.
New preliminary research has found that COVID-19 infection can increase oxidative stress and inflammation in heart tissue, leading to heart problems. It can also alter calcium ions, which can lead to heart rhythm disturbances.
Scientists and doctors have already proven that COVID-19 can affect the heart. Recent research found a 55% higher rate of heart attack, stroke, heart inflammation, and heart rhythm disturbances among people with COVID-19.
Despite the known heart complications of COVID, scientists are still unclear about how the SARS-CoV-2 virus damages heart tissue.
Now, in a new preliminary study, researchers have discovered that COVID affects the heart at the cellular level, causing inflammation, oxidative stress, and changes to a protein that regulates calcium in the heart.
The scientists presented their results on February 20 at the 67th Annual Meeting of the Society for Biophysics in San Diego, California.
To investigate the impact of COVID on the heart, the research team examined heart tissue from individuals with COVID-19 and made several key observations.
First, they observed an increase in oxidative stress, which can reduce the cells’ ability to detoxify harmful substances. In addition, they also observed increased signs of inflammation in the tissue. In addition, the team discovered unfavorable changes in RyR2, a protein that helps regulate calcium ions in the heart.
This impaired regulation of calcium ions can cause problems in the way the heart muscle contracts, leading to an irregular heartbeat, palpitations, or heart failure.
After investigating further with COVID-infected mice, the scientists observed patterns in the heart tissue of the mice that matched those they had found in human hearts.
Specifically, they observed changes in proteins expressed by cardiac cells, immune cell infiltration, cardiac cell death, blood clots, and collagen deposition, indicating tissue injury.
The team also detected signs of cardiomyopathy, a disease that causes the heart to pump blood less efficiently.
Dr. Andrew Marks, a cardiologist and professor of biophysics at Columbia University who participated in the research, said that “the greater the awareness of specific aspects of a disease, the more likely it is to improve patient care. And clinicians should be aware of and look for cardiac changes related to COVID-19 infections.”
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