COVID-19-related myocarditis linked to higher mortality and complications

In patients with COVID-19-associated myocarditis, in-hospital mortality and elevated risk of cardiovascular, neurologic, renal, and hematologic complications are increased compared to those with other viral myocarditis, according to a new study.

The study included 15,390 patients diagnosed with viral myocarditis, of whom 5,540 (36%) were found to have COVID-19. After adjusting for baseline characteristics, the researchers discovered that patients with COVID-19 had notably higher odds of in-hospital mortality, with an adjusted odds ratio of 3.46.

Furthermore, individuals with COVID-19-associated myocarditis exhibited increased risks of experiencing cardiovascular complications compared to those without COVID-19. These complications included cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, venous thromboembolism, neurologic complications, renal complications, and hematologic complications. Of note, the odds of acute heart failure were lower in patients with COVID-19.

The research also revealed that patients with COVID-19-associated myocarditis had longer hospital stays, with an average length of stay of seven days compared to four days for non-COVID-19 viral myocarditis cases. Moreover, the total costs associated with hospitalization were higher for COVID-19 patients, reaching an average of $21,308, compared to $14,089 for non-COVID-19 cases.

Reference
Ismayl M, Ahmed H, Hamadi D, et al. Outcomes of viral myocarditis in patients with and without COVID-19: a nationwide analysis from the United States. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2023;85(7):3308-3317. doi: 10.1097/MS9.0000000000000936. PMID: 37427214; PMCID: PMC10328676.