COVID-19 Predisposition Inherently Increases Cardiovascular Risk Before SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Cardiology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Long-term health impacts of COVID-19, particularly cardiovascular disease (CVD), persist.
• Research has primarily focused on CVD complications post-SARS-CoV-2 infection, not inherent genetic risks.
• The link between genetic susceptibility to COVID-19 and underlying CVD risk remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if genetic predisposition to COVID-19 elevates CVD risk independently of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• To identify shared genetic architectures between COVID-19 susceptibility and cardiovascular conditions.
• To explore COVID-19 susceptibility as a potential novel marker for CVD risk assessment.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.
• Analyzed data from pre-pandemic, SARS-CoV-2-naive populations across 18 cohorts.
• Simulated COVID-19 predisposition to assess genetic susceptibility's impact on CVD outcomes.

Main Results:

• A significant association was found between genetic predisposition to COVID-19 and increased risks for several CVD outcomes.
• Hypertensive heart disease risk was particularly elevated in genetically predisposed individuals.
• Individuals genetically predisposed to severe COVID-19 showed a marked increase in hypertensive heart disease risk.

Conclusions:

• Shared genetic factors may predispose individuals to both COVID-19 and cardiovascular diseases, irrespective of infection.
• Genetic susceptibility to COVID-19 can serve as a "natural stress test" revealing latent cardiovascular vulnerabilities.
• This highlights the potential of using COVID-19 susceptibility as a novel marker for proactive CVD risk management.