Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cardiovascular Health in 2020: JACC State-of-the-Art Review

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• COVID-19 is a leading cause of death globally.
• Individuals with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) faced higher risks.
• Early pandemic impact on CVD burden was uncertain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden.
• To analyze changes in CVD admissions, hospital mortality, and population-level mortality during the early pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Review of studies on health facility admissions for CVD.
• Analysis of studies on hospital mortality for CVD.
• Examination of population-level CVD mortality data across different countries.

Main Results:

• Significant decreases in CVD admissions were observed during the pandemic.
• Hospital mortality for CVD showed variable trends.
• Population-level CVD mortality varied by country, with some showing decreases and others increases.
• Potential misclassification of COVID-19 deaths as CVD occurred in some regions.
• Overall, studies suggest heterogeneous impacts on CVD, without widespread increases in mortality in 2020.

Conclusions:

• The COVID-19 pandemic had varied effects on cardiovascular disease burden.
• Further clinical and population science research is necessary to understand the pandemic's long-term impact on CVD.