Medical News A new study found severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was associated with the rapid growth of plaque in the coronary arteries and an increased risk of cardiovascular events. The results were published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). According to Dr. Ge, this systemic inflammation produces consequences for the heart beyond the first month of infection, leading to high mortality and unfavorable outcomes.
The researchers investigated the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection using coronary CT angiography (CCTA) to assess coronary inflammation, determined by analyzing changes in tissue surrounding the coronary arteries, as well as plaque burden and type.
The retrospective study included patients who underwent CCTA between September 2018 and October 2023. The final study group of 803 patients (mean age, 63.9 years, 543 men) included 329 patients (41%) imaged before the COVID-19 pandemic and 474 patients imaged during the pandemic. Of those, 25 patients were infected with SARS-CoV-2 before imaging.