Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jul 14, 2025 1 day, 2 minutes ago
Thailand Medical News: Hidden Dangers Lurking in the Heart Months After COVID Recovery
Doctors from the University Clinical Centre of Serbia and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Belgrade have uncovered troubling signs of heart damage in people suffering from long COVID. Using advanced imaging techniques like echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), they found that over 58 percent of long COVID patients showed structural and functional abnormalities in their hearts.
Heart Damage Found in Over Half of Long COVID Patients
This
Thailand Medical News report is based on a prospective study involving 176 adults, most of whom had previously been hospitalized for COVID-19. The patients continued to suffer from fatigue, breathlessness, chest discomfort, and irregular heartbeats for more than three months after their initial infection. These symptoms, researchers say, are not just lingering discomfort—they are warning signs of deeper cardiovascular trouble.
High-Tech Scans Reveal Hidden Heart Injuries
Among those diagnosed with long COVID, CMR scans showed that 43 percent had visible heart tissue damage, particularly in the outer and middle layers of the heart muscle. This is called late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and is often a sign of inflammation or fibrosis, which can lead to heart failure if untreated.
More alarmingly, over 20 percent of patients had abnormal T1 and T2 mapping values—specific MRI signals that indicate inflammation or swelling in heart tissues. This suggests that the heart may still be under attack long after the virus is gone.
Echocardiograms Uncover Silent Functional Declines
Standard and advanced echocardiograms—ultrasound tests that examine how the heart beats and pumps blood—revealed further damage. Long COVID patients had a significantly lower ejection fraction, a key measure of how well the heart pumps blood. Their heart muscle strains, especially in the layers that face the most pressure, were also noticeably weaker compared to healthy individuals.
The researchers noted a clear pattern: even patients with no prior heart conditions were showing subtle but dangerous changes in heart structure and performance, particularly those who had been severely ill during their acute COVID phase.
Why It Matters and What Comes Next
Lead researchers Gordana Krljanac, Milika Asanin, and Tatjana Simic, along with their team from multiple institutes under the University of Belgrade, stress the importance of early cardiac monitoring for all long COVID patients. Their findings indicate that inflammation—not just initial viral damage—may be silently injuring the heart over time.
Conclusion
The study highlights that long COVID is not just about feeling tired or unwell; it may involve silent but serious cardiovascular problems that can progress if ignored. By using imaging tools like echocardiograms and CMR, doc
tors can spot these hidden changes early and tailor treatments to prevent permanent heart damage or failure. Long COVID patients with persistent fatigue or shortness of breath should not delay seeking proper cardiac evaluations.
The study findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal: Diagnostics
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/15/14/1771
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/long-covid-brain-fog-tied-to-dangerous-vascular-and-heart-related-gene-changes
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/warning-exaggerated-heart-rate-surges-in-post-covid-individuals-linked-to-hidden-lung-and-heart-damage
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/estonian-study-claims-that-possible-hidden-cause-of-long-covid-may-be-a-burnt-out-immune-system
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/long-covid
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