During the COVID-19 pandemic, MyHeartDiseaseTeam will provide summaries and links to articles of importance to people living with heart disease. This page will be updated with information as it becomes available.

• Join the conversation about COVID-19 and heart disease by commenting below.

Heart Disease, Emergency Treatment, and the Stress of Health Care Delays Due to COVID-19

MyHeartDiseaseTeam, June 1, 2020

Key Takeaways

• It is vital to seek urgent care for new or worsening heart disease symptoms.
• Nonemergency care — from surgeries to routine appointments — is being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Uncertainty caused by treatment delays can contribute to anxiety and stress for people living with heart disease, which may exacerbate symptoms.
• Doctor-recommended suggestions to manage stress and anxiety include yoga, healthful eating, and social connection.

What MyHeartDiseaseTeam Members Are Saying

“Update on the foot surgery. It was postponed. All hospitals were/are cancelling elective surgeries due to the coronavirus epidemic.”

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Heart Disease, Emergency Treatment, and the Stress of Health Care Delays Due to COVID-19

COVID-19 and Heart Disease: Are You at a Greater Risk?

MyHeartDiseaseTeam, April 13, 2020

Key Takeaways

• Having heart disease does not raise your risk for contracting COVID-19.
• However, becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 is directly related to having heart disease, as confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Cardiology.
• There has been limited research regarding treatments for heart disease, namely ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), and how these medications may impact someone who contracts COVID-19.
• Until there’s more research, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the Heart Failure Society of America are all advising people with heart disease to continue taking these medications.

What MyHeartDiseaseTeam Members Are Saying

“Health care is only treating the COVID-19 and keeping us away from the hospital as we are the highest risk to get the COVID-19 disease.”

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COVID-19 and Heart Disease: Are You at a Greater Risk?

How to Talk to Friends and Family About Physical Distancing

MyHeartDiseaseTeam, March 20, 2020

Key Takeaways

• Remind loved ones of the seriousness of your situation. According to research in China, people who had one additional disease had a 79 percent higher risk of requiring intensive care, needing a respirator, or dying as a result of COVID-19.
• If there are others in your circle who take the threat seriously, ask them to talk to your loved one on your behalf.
• Suggest ways to stay socially connected from a safe distance.

What MyHeart DiseaseTeam Members Are Saying

"Better to be safe than sorry, just hope the scientists find a vaccine pretty soon."

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Canceling Is Kindness: Keeping Safe From COVID-19 With Heart Disease

Other COVID-19 Resources

• American Heart Association: COVID-19 Resources
• American College of Cardiology: COVID-19 Hub
• Heart Failure Society of America: COVID-19 Resources
• Control and Prevention (CDC): Situation Summary
• World Health Organization (WHO): Rolling Updates of Coronavirus