The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiovascular disease in the cardiovascular center of Kermanshah, in the west of Iran

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are known as the most common cause of mortality worldwide. Hence, exploring the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on CVD and its risk factors. This study aimed to explore clinical and echocardiographic characteristics and cardiac manifestations in COVID-19 patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 386 patients with COVID-19 admitted to Imam Ali Hospital, the largest specialized cardiology hospital in western Iran. The checklist included information about age, gender, hypertension, BMI, diabetes, chronic renal disease, cigarette smoking, echocardiography and ECG findings, in-hospital MACE, venous and arterial thrombotic events. To analyze the data, SPSS23, paired-samples t-test, chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used. Results: Our findings showed 57 % of patients were male and 43 % were female. The paients' average age was 64.61 +/- 14.21 years. Moreover, 25.9 % of patients had diabetes, 27.7 % had blood pressure, 11.7 % were cigarette smokers and 11.1 % had hyperlipidemia. The main electrocardiographic abnormalities were ST-T changes in 1.31 % of the patients, sinus tachycardia in 16.3 % and atrial fibrillation in 11.1 % of patients. Mild to moderate pericardial effusion was observed in 8.1 % and pleural effusion in 9.1 % of the sample. Common cardiac complications were ACS in 52.9 %, DHF in 24.4 %, and CHB in 4.4 % of patients. 19.4 % of patients died during hospitalization. Mild to moderate pericardial effusion (OR = 1.96, 95 % CI 1.18-2.14, P = 0.012) was an independent predictor of mortality in COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: Results of the study showed it is essential to pay closer attention to elderly, diabetic and hypertensive patients, who are more prone to COVID-19 infection. Moreover, common cardiac complications were ACS and DHF, respectively.