Coronavirus could worsen heart diseases

ISTANBUL

There are quite a lot of patients in Turkey suffering from heart diseases, and a contagious disease such as COVID-19 could make heart diseases even more deadly, according to an expert.

Dr. Mehmet Emirhan Isik from Health Sciences University in Istanbul, also an expert on infections and clinical microbiology, said COVID-19 affects people with hypertension, lung and heart diseases worse. It also results in many cardiovascular complications.

"WHO announced the Global Action Plan to prevent and control non-congenial diseases, which aimed to fight with smoking, unhealthy eating, and alcohol consumption. It is known that people with heart diseases are under more risk in terms of infectious diseases," he added.

The expert also added that along with the respiratory system, COVID-19 can also affect digestive and neural systems.

"While fighting with the virus, our defense systems can also harm healthy body parts. For instance, it may increase the risk of a heart attack in people with coronary diseases. It might also disrupt blood flow, and cause hypertension. For that reason, patients with heart diseases should take extra care in protecting themselves from the virus."

For these reasons, COVID-19 fever, fluid loss caused by the virus, and viral toxins disrupting heart muscles increase the risk of heart attacks.

People with heart diseases should take extra care in following directions against COVID-19 such as washing hands, keeping social distance, using masks properly and cleaning their environments.

The expert also said heart diseases can be badly affected by lack of exercise, which is why it is extra important these days for people with heart diseases.

Lastly, healthy eating and cooking foods properly are important. And smoking should be avoided all the time, but especially for patients with heart diseases and in the days of the COVID-19 outbreak.

More than 2.17 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll over 146,000 and more than 554,000 recoveries, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

*Writing by Firdevs Bulut