COVID-19 leaves lasting impact on heart attack survival, with deaths rising even a year later, finds research

Patients who experience a severe heart attack alongside COVID-19 face significantly higher risks of death, both during hospitalisation and in the year that follows, according to new research. COVID-19 significantly increases cardiovascular risk, with patients up to seven times more likely to die from heart-related causes than those without the virus, found the study carried out on North American patients.

The study found that mortality among such patients remains markedly elevated even after discharge, with one-year death rates more than double those recorded before the pandemic.

The findings were presented at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2026 Scientific Sessions and the Canadian Association of Interventional Cardiology (CAIC-ACCI) Summit in Montreal on April 24, 2026.

Elevated risks during and after hospitalisation

The study examined patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a severe form of heart attack caused by a complete blockage of a coronary artery, alongside COVID-19 infection. The researchers used data from North American COVID-19 Myocardial Infarction (NACMI) registry, which tracks hospitalised STEMI patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 in the region.

Researchers found that patients with both conditions were up to seven times more likely to experience serious complications, including in-hospital death, stroke, recurrent heart attack or the need for repeat unplanned revascularisation (angioplasty), compared with those without COVID-19. 

While earlier studies have documented immediate risks, this research focuses on longer-term outcomes, which remain less well understood.

One-year mortality significantly higher

The analysis included 2,358 STEMI patients, divided into three groups: 623 COVID-19 positive patients, 694 COVID-19 negative patients, and 1,041 matched controls to reduce bias.

The study found that patients with both COVID-19 and STEMI had a 67 per cent higher one-year mortality rate compared with those without COVID-19 — 45 per cent versus 27 per cent.

A large majority of deaths (86 per cent) occurred during the initial hospital stay. However, risks persisted even among those who survived hospitalisation.

Among these survivors, one-year mortality was 25 per cent higher in patients with COVID-19 (12 per cent compared with 9.6 per cent) and more than double pre-pandemic levels, which stood at 5.3 per cent.

“Our findings emphasise that patients who survive a STEMI need close, ongoing attention from their care team, especially when experiencing COVID-19,” said Payam Dehghani, an interventional cardiologist at Prairie Vascular Research Inc in Regina, Canada, in a statement. He added that clinicians should carefully assess and monitor cardiovascular risk factors, including lifestyle choices, while patients must remain actively engaged in their recovery and follow-up care.

The researchers concluded that even after discharge, mortality among these patients remains higher than pre-pandemic levels, highlighting ongoing risks beyond the acute phase of illness.

In late March and early April 2020, the New York City Fire Department saw nearly a 400 per cent surge in cardiac arrest deaths at home, likely driven by COVID-19, including undiagnosed cases, an NBC New York news report had stated. From March 20 to April 5, about 2,200 such deaths were reported, compared to 450 during the same period last year. Overall, there was a sharp rise in emergency calls, deaths, and especially the share of calls that resulted in death.

That June, research in the journal JAMA Cardiology reported a sharp rise in out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in New York City during the COVID-19 peak. From March 1 to April 25, 2020, the city recorded 17,118 COVID-19 deaths, it stated. On April 6, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests peaked at 305 cases, nearly 10 times higher than the previous year.