Keeping up with Covid vaccinations can reduce the risks associated with the virus, according to a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. In addition to the vaccine, a team from the University of East Anglia, UK, suggests other ways to tackle the long-term impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health, including diagnosing, treating, and preventing serious heart and blood vessel complications linked to the virus.
“The Covid pandemic has had a profound and lasting impact on our health, with complications emerging during acute illness and recovery. Millions of people around the world are suffering from serious cardiovascular problems caused by Covid infection and long Covid,” said Prof Vassiliou, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School. “A lack of clear evidence-based guidance on how to reduce this suffering and prevent further harm means that patients are not receiving the care they need, and some are turning to unproven or unsafe treatments. We wanted to change that.”
Almost one billion people are believed to have been infected with Covid worldwide, although the actual number is probably much higher. Multiple studies have shown that Covid patients — especially those who needed intensive hospital treatment — have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack, stroke and death from cardiovascular disease. In addition, about 100 million patients are still living with long Covid, with around 5% experiencing cardiac symptoms, including chest pain, breathlessness, abnormal heart rhythm, heart failure, fatigue, and dizziness.
To find ways to help these patients, the researchers reviewed existing data regarding how the virus affects cardiovascular disease, including the effects of an acute infection, long Covid, and Covid vaccination. They then suggested a set of recommendations for how to treat or prevent the damaging cardiovascular effects of Covid.
Their report includes advice to continue vaccinating against Covid-19, as they found that people who are fully vaccinated are far less likely to suffer cardiac complications or long Covid, even if they contract the virus. They also recommend cardiac rehabilitation programmes, including specialised physiotherapy, to prevent longer term problems from developing following infection and to help patients recover from long Covid.
“Covid doesn’t just affect the lungs. It can also damage the heart and blood vessels, both during the acute infection and for months afterward. This means that chest pain, breathlessness, palpitations, or fatigue may be signs of long COVID-19 affecting the heart. If you already have heart disease, Covid raises your risk of serious complications both immediately and long after infection. In both cases, rehabilitation can protect your heart and support recovery,” added Prof Vassiliou.
“Our report provides unified, practical recommendations for prevention, rehabilitation, and long-term care, while also identifying critical research gaps to ensure strategies continue to evolve with emerging evidence. We need to ensure patients have equitable access to rehabilitation services, support primary prevention through vaccination and lifestyle programmes, and fund research into long Covid and cardiovascular outcomes. Health systems must be prepared for the ongoing burden, not just the acute infection.”
Vassiliou V, Tsampasian V, Luchian M, D’Ascenzi F, terms al. Cardiovascular disease prevention and management in COVID-19: a clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology, the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions, the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions, and the Heart Failure Association of the ESC, European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 2025;, zwaf540, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf540