Heart patients warned to take extra care with coronavirus threat – British Heart Foundation

17 March 2020 Aaron McDonald

Category: BHF Comment

Updated 17th March

People with heart and circulatory conditions should be extra vigilant as the threat of coronavirus increases.

Based on the World Health Organization labelling the virus as a public health emergency of international concern, the UK Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk to the UK to high.

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, said: Were still learning how COVID-19 affects people with existing medical conditions. However, information to date suggests that people with heart and circulatory diseases appear to be at higher risk of complications caused by the virus. This includes people with cerebrovascular disease, which involves problems with the blood supply to the brain, such as stroke.

People who are vulnerable to a more severe infection such as older people, those with weakened immune systems or long-term medical conditions, including heart and circulatory diseases should be extra vigilant. This includes following current government advice to self-isolate if they experience mild symptoms and being mindful of their risk of infection. Its also important people continue to take their medications as normal.

Symptoms of coronavirus include high temperature, a new continuous cough and can progress to shortness of breath. If you have these symptoms you should stay at home for seven days. If your symptoms worsen during home isolation or are no better after seven days contact NHS 111 by phone or online.

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan added:Wed strongly advise people to continue taking all their medications unless advised differently by their doctor.

Its understandable that newspaper headlines like this can make people feel uncertain about their blood pressure and heart failure medicines, especially at such an unsettling time. The medical profession has a number of expert groups who have reviewed the scientific information and they are agreed that there is a lack of evidence to support speculation that ACE inhibitors and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers increase the chances of severe COVID-19 infections.

What is clear, is that stopping your medication could be dangerous and could make your condition worse. These drugs are very effective for heart failure, and to control high blood pressure to help prevent a heart attack or stroke. Its really important that you continue to take them as prescribed, unless advised differently by your doctor.

Coronaviruses encompass a large group of viruses that are responsible for different illnesses including the common cold. This latest outbreak was transmitted from animals to human, as is the case in several instances. The current outbreak is called a novel coronavirus as it has not been identified previously in humans.

The BHF recommends that everybody closely follows the advice provided on the NHS and Government webpages, as they are updating their information daily. If those living with heart and circulatory diseases, or its risk factors, would like to speak with a cardiac nurse, they can contact our Heart Helpline.

Coronavirus with a heart or circulatory disease

See the original post here:
Heart patients warned to take extra care with coronavirus threat - British Heart Foundation