COVID Spike Protein Causes Damage to Heart Muscle Cells

Last week, the American Heart Association (AHA) said that investigators have begun to understand how COVID spike proteins may contribute to heart muscle cell damage. Previously, clinicians knew that COVID infection could lead to both temporary and chronic heart conditions; however, the mechanism was poorly understood.  

An article from the University of California Davis Health suggests that up to 30% of patients hospitalized with COVID experience cardiovascular issues.  

Furthermore, a publication in Nature suggests that “rates of many conditions, such as heart failure and stroke, were substantially higher in people who had recovered from COVID-19 than in similar people who hadn’t had the disease.” This was also true for people lacking additional risk factors.  

There is a plethora of evidence tying cardiovascular damage to COVID infection, but until now, there has been a limited understanding of the physiological reasoning behind this trend. Understanding the physiology and mechanisms behind damage may help inform research to prevent or address said damage.  

According to the AHA press release, “now, researchers have found that the spike protein from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus can lead to heart muscle injury through the inflammatory process, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions 2022.” 

Spike proteins are surface-level attachments on the virus, often depicted in illustrations. Based on information from the press announcement, spike proteins are an integral part of the infection process. They are what allow the virus to enter healthy cells, providing a host for the virus.  

Zhiqiang Lin, PhD, lead author of the study and an assistant professor at the Masonic Medical Research Institute, told AHA in the press announcement that his research indicates that there may be a link between the immune response elicited by spike proteins and the damage in heart muscle cells seen in COVID patients.  

“Host natural immunity is the first line of defense against pathogen invasion, and heart muscle cells have their own natural immune machinery. Activation of the body’s immune response is essential for fighting against virus infection; however, this may also impair heart muscle cell function and even lead to cell death and heart failure,” Lin told the AHA.  

While further research is recommended and necessary, this data provides insight into the lasting impact of COVID infection. The CDC and other healthcare organizations highly encourage vaccination and other preventative healthcare strategies to mitigate the risks associated with COVID infection.