Frontiers in immunologyJul 9, 2026

Long COVID’s heart and blood vessel problems linked to immune system imbalance and inflammation

Long Covid Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Jul 10, 2026

Abstract

Common cardiovascular manifestations of Long COVID-19 include myocarditis and heart failure.

Long COVID-19 is associated with fatigue, dyspnea, cognitive dysfunction, and exercise intolerance.
Cardiovascular issues following SARS-CoV-2 infection may include arrhythmias and thrombotic events.
Immune dysregulation and ongoing inflammation are suggested as key factors driving cardiovascular damage.
Activation of immune pathways could lead to endothelial injury and adverse changes in heart structure.
Current evidence aims to clarify immune-related mechanisms behind cardiovascular issues in Long COVID.

Simplified

Long coronavirus disease 2019 (Long COVID-19), also referred to as post-acute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, has emerged as a major global health challenge. Common manifestations include fatigue, dyspnea, cognitive dysfunction, and exercise intolerance. Beyond these systemic manifestations, the enduring cardiovascular manifestations are increasingly identified as core characteristics of Long COVID-19 syndromes secondary to SARS-CoV-2 infection, encompassing myocarditis, ischemic and non-ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias, heart failure, and thrombotic events. Accumulating evidence suggests that immune dysregulation and persistent inflammation are central drivers of cardiovascular injury in Long COVID. Persistent activation of innate and adaptive immune pathways fosters endothelial injury, thrombo-inflammation, and adverse myocardial remodeling. In this review, we focus on current clinical and experimental evidence to delineate the immune-mediated mechanisms underlying cardiovascular sequelae in Long COVID and explore potential therapeutic strategies targeting persistent inflammation and immune dysregulation.

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Competing interests

The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

PubMed

Long COVID’s heart and blood vessel problems linked to immune system imbalance and inflammation

Abstract

Full Text

Funding

Competing interests

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Abstract

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Funding

Competing interests

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

What Lands in Your Inbox Each Week:

Recent issues from the long covid brief