New coronavirus infection COVID-19 as a predictor of the cardiovascular pathology development in health care workers

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the working environment in healthcare worldwide. Health care workers ended up being the most vulnerable category of the working population, directly faced with a new coronavirus infection. The impact of the SARS-Cov-2 virus on different organs and tissues, particularly on the cardiovascular system, is well known. Considering also the cardiovascular pathology retains the first place among the morbidity and mortality rates of the working-age population, it is relevant to assess the risk of developing cardiovascular pathology in health care workers who suffered the new coronavirus infection COVID-19. The study aims to research the prevalence and impact of risk factors of the cardiovascular pathology development in health care workers after suffering a new coronavirus infection COVID-19. According to the data of periodic medical examinations in medical organizations in Ulyanovsk, specialists have conducted a screening examination of 196 medical workers. Two groups of subjects participated in the study — the main group, which included 98 medical workers who had suffered a new coronavirus infection, and a comparison group represented by 98 medical workers who had no history of COVID-19 infection. As part of the survey, specialists conducted clinical, instrumental and laboratory studies, as well as anonymous questionnaires of medical workers. Based on the data obtained, they assessed the levels of overall cardiovascular risk according to the updated SCORE-2 scale (assessment of the risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events in the next 10 years) and studied the contribution of risk factors to the development of cardiovascular pathology in the studied groups. In the main group of patients, the main factors constituting the overall cardiovascular risk were significantly higher than in the comparison group. The authors identified arterial hypertension in 72.5% of patients in the main group. 51.4% had high total cholesterol, 39.6% LDL cholesterol, and 62.3% triglycerides in medical workers who had a new coronavirus infection. In 64.4% of patients, hypertrophy of the left ventricle was detected, in 35.8% — thickening of the intima-media complex, in 26.5% in the main group — atherosclerotic plaques in the brachiocephalic arteries. The analysis of the results showed that a very high risk of cardiovascular complications was found in 40.5% of medical workers in the main group, and a high risk in 31.2%. Moderate risk values were found in the main group in 14.5%. Only 13.7% had low cardiovascular risk. The obtained results indicate the need for a thorough assessment of cardiovascular pathology risk factors, dynamic monitoring of health indicators, as well as the consequences of the new coronavirus infection COVID-19 in health care workers, the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases, and the rehabilitation of health care workers. Limitation. The study has professional limitations - the sample is presented by medical workers of medical institutions who have undergone medical examinations. Ethics. This study was carried out in accordance with the rules of good clinical practice and the Helsinki Declaration, did not require the conclusion of an ethical committee. Informed voluntary consents of all study participants were obtained.