New York: Children infected with severe Covid-19 may face lasting health consequences beyond the initial respiratory illness, according to a new global study, which highlights potential risks to heart health.
Researchers analysed blood samples from 147 children and found significant disruptions in fat metabolism, particularly involving triglycerides and cholesterol—key components in maintaining heart health. The findings suggest that Covid-19, especially in cases associated with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), could raise long-term cardiovascular disease risks.
Using advanced diagnostic tools, including liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, scientists identified over 1,100 blood metabolites. The study revealed that children with Covid-19 and MIS-C exhibited major shifts in metabolic patterns, some of which are known markers of future heart disease.
MIS-C, a severe inflammatory condition linked to Covid-19, affects multiple organs and can cause serious cardiac damage, including inflammation of the heart muscle and vascular changes. Children with MIS-C showed even more pronounced metabolic disturbances than those with Covid alone.
The study challenges the belief that children are largely spared from Covid’s serious impacts and suggests the virus may have deeper effects on young patients’ long-term health.
The findings were published in the Journal of Proteome Research.