COVID-19's Lingering Threat: A Surge in a Rare and Dangerous Heart Condition

The specter of COVID-19 has loomed large over the last three years, infiltrating nearly every aspect of life. But even as new variants continue to emerge, the pandemic's aftershocks may be felt for years to come in a dangerous way—through a spike in a heart condition that, if left untreated, may lead to heart failure.

Roughly 1 in 5 people who tested positive for COVID-19 experienced new-onset, acute inflammation of the heart muscle, a condition called myocarditis, new research from the University of South Florida finds.

The new multicenter, retrospective study examined over 8,000 COVID-19-positive patients aged 18 and older. Researchers compared in-hospital mortality and ventilator support rates between those diagnosed with myocarditis and those without.

Myocarditis was detected by testing for elevated levels of troponin-T (TnT) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP)—both of which are a proxy for heart damage.