Publication date: Jun 25, 2026
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted cardiology, with myocardial injury and new-onset cardiac dysfunction observed even without respiratory symptoms. The Aim of the study aimed to evaluate angiographic and clinical characteristics of COVID-19-positive patients who were presented with acute coronary syndrome. This retrospective case-control study involved 80 COVID-19-positive patients with acute coronary syndrome who underwent angiography, compared to matched COVID-19-negative controls. Conducted at King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, between June 2021 and July 2022. It included angiographic, echocardiographic and laboratory evaluations. 80 (1. 6%) of 5134 COVID-19 patients underwent coronary angiography for coronary artery disease over 14 months. The COVID-19-positive and control groups were primarily male (78. 75% vs. 75%) and had similar mean ages (57. 1+/-10. 86 vs. 55. 93+/-10 years). The control group had higher rates of diabetes (81. 3% vs. 66. 3%) and hypertension (85% vs. 57. 5%), while the COVID-19 group had higher smoking rates, STEMI (50% vs. 26. 3%), and elevated D-dimer, C reactive protein (CRP), and cardiac troponins. COVID-19 patients had more ventricular thrombus (15% vs. 3. 75%), RV dilation (36. 25% vs. 11. 25%), and pulmonary hypertension (50% vs. 26. 3%). COVID-19 patients had more single-vessel disease (35% vs. 17. 5%), and controls had more three-vessel disease (47. 5% vs 22. 5%). The COVID-19 group also used more thrombus aspiration (17. 5% vs. 5%) and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (37. 5% vs. 6. 33%). The findings of this study show that COVID-19 increases cardiovascular injury. Even if the cause is unknown, cardiac injury must be detected quickly. ACS, including STEMI, can kill if not diagnosed and treated immediately. All COVID-19-positive patients with chest pain should be treated with a high index of suspicion due to the risk of coronary thrombosis due to hypercoagulability.
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 |
| disease | MESH | injury |
| disease | MESH | acute coronary syndrome |
| disease | MESH | included |
| disease | MESH | coronary artery disease |
| disease | MESH | hypertension |
| disease | MESH | STEMI |
| disease | MESH | thrombus |
| disease | MESH | pulmonary hypertension |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Sulodexide |
| disease | MESH | chest pain |
| disease | MESH | coronary thrombosis |
| disease | MESH | hypercoagulability |
| disease | MESH | Long Covid |
| disease | MESH | Cardiovascular diseases |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Fibrinogen Human |