New PET imaging data highlight the long-lasting impact of COVID-19, revealing changes to the heart and lungs that are not detectable by standard medical assessments.
The inflammatory alterations observed could indicate that individuals suffering from the long-term ramifications of COVID could be at increased risk of adverse cardiac and pulmonary conditions. Experts shared their findings recently in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
“Long COVID has emerged as a major public health challenge, and the long-term sequelae remain largely undefined,” corresponding author Maria G. Trivieri, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine (cardiology), and diagnostic, molecular and interventional radiology at the Icahn School of Medicine, and colleagues noted. “This study brings us closer to understanding how SARS-CoV-2 affects the heart and lungs over time. We believe long COVID results in an inflammatory response that may predispose patients to premature coronary artery disease, pulmonary hypertension, and valvular damage such as stenosis or regurgitation.”