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COVID Can Leave Patients With Long-Lasting Heart Conditions, Study Finds

BOSTON (CBS) - COVID-19 can have long-lasting effects on the heart, even among people who weren't hospitalized with the disease. A new study has identified a variety of different heart and vascular-related effects of coronavirus.

Researchers in St. Louis looked at data on more than 150,000 patients in the VA system with COVID-19. They found that more than a month after infection, the patients were at higher risk of at least 20 cardiovascular-related complications including stroke, heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms, and blood clots.

These conditions were seen among some patients who were never hospitalized during their acute illness, but the more severe the initial infection, the greater the risk.

If you have had COVID-19 and are now experiencing shortness of breath, chest discomfort, fatigue, or other concerning symptoms, please have your doctor evaluate you for heart-related complications.

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