A recent study headed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania has found that children and young people who were infected with COVID-19 have a significantly greater risk of acquiring heart complications. Although the like risks have already been very much documented among adults, the current study focuses attention on equivalent threats among youth as well.

The study reviewed electronic health records of more than 1.2 million children across 19 hospitals in the U.S. between March 2020 and September 2023. It found that previously infected SARS-CoV-2 individuals had higher probabilities of acquiring conditions like high blood pressure, heart failure, myocarditis, arrhythmias, chest pain, and even cardiac arrest — as much as six months post-infection.

Significantly, this increased risk was noted among children with and without previous heart conditions. Notably, however, those with congenital heart disease were especially at risk of atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat.

The research also identified a multifaceted relationship between obesity and cardiovascular outcomes, indicating the importance of a more refined understanding of the post-COVID health of the heart among children.

Researchers stress that early awareness and surveillance can prevent long-term sequelae in young patients recovering from COVID-19.