PEOPLE who catch Covid are at higher risk of 20 different diseases, a new study has warned.
Even those who didn’t have an illness severe enough to be hospitalised could develop the conditions.
The research, published in Nature Medicine, warned long-term effects could be seen in the heart and vascular system.
These include cardiac arrest, heart failure, stroke, irregular heart rhythms, blood clots, blood vessel diseases and inflammation disorders.
Experts looked at data for over 11 million US veterans, including 154,000 who had Covid.
They then estimated the risks within a year for about 20 cardiovascular diseases.
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The researchers found those who had Covid a year before were at a significantly higher risk, compared to those who hadn’t had the bug.
This risk then rose the more serious their case was.
Evelina Grayver, director of women’s heart health at Northwell Health in New York, who wasn’t involved with the study, told Fox News: “There were 20 cardiac disorders that were diagnosed for those patients that are suffering from long haul Covid.
“The most common is the shortness of breath and fatigue.
“The new arrhythmias, or the abnormal heart rhythms that people experience, are significant as well and can become incredibly handicapping for a lot of patients.”
People who had Covid faced a 72 per cent higher risk of heart failure after 12 months.
And around 45 more people per 1,000 went on to develop any of the 20 conditions, compared to uninfected people.
It it worth noting, however, that the study period ended before vaccines were available.
