Disease, Drugs and Dilemma: A Review of Cardiovascular Implications of Novel COVID-19

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is one of the greatest threat and challenge being faced by the entire nations in the current era. Though it primarily affects the respiratory system, like other viral infections, cardiovascular complications such as myocarditis, acute coronary syndrome, exacerbation of heart failure, and arrhythmia are not uncommon in COVID-19. They were reported to be associated with poor outcome. In addition, emerging reports also showed that patients with pre-existing cardiovascular comorbidities are more prone to develop severe form of COVID-19. The factors found to be independently associated with an increased risk of death were the age older than 65 years, coronary artery disease, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and current smoking. Concern has been raised regarding a potential harmful effect of drugs like angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin. Therefore, in this article, we will concisely explore the potential cardiovascular implications of COVID-19 with the help of existing literature. Clin Infect Immun. 2020;5(2):25-30 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/cii109