Cardiovascular Implications of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Systematic Review

Abstract Background: World Health Organization has declared Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. It has killed thousands and millions are infected worldwide. Though COVID-19 is supposed to be primarily a disease of respiratory system, it also has widespread implications on other systems as well. The aim of this systematic review is to summarize the cardiovascular implications of COVID-19. Methods: PubMed, PubMed Central, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were searched for peer-reviewed articles which aimed to delineate the cardiovascular implications of COVID-19. Results: A total of six articles (five original articles and one case report) were included. We found diverse cardiovascular implications of COVID-19 ranging from acute cardiac injury to death. New onset abnormalities in electrocardiogram or echocardiogragram, elevated plasma levels of cardiac troponin, NT-proBNP, and D-dimer have role in early identification of acute cardiac injury in such patients. Additionally, cardiac troponin and NT-proBNP can be used to evaluate prognosis and possible need for intensive care in these patients. Conclusion: Acute cardiac injury is common in patients with COVID-19. Aggressive supportive management based on prognostic indicators along with management of heart failure, arrhythmias, acute coronary syndrome and thrombosis can improve clinical outcomes in such patients.