The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation’s Project Ask the Doctor: COVID-19’s Impact on the Human Cardiovascular System

In the framework of its project Ask the Doctor the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation continues to raise awareness of Ukrainians about the prevention and treatment of the coronavirus. Experts of the program’s live broadcasts, the country’s leading healthcare professionals with vast experience, answer questions from viewers and talk about the latest discoveries and trends in the fight against the pandemic.

The next guest of the project was Kateryna Amosova, a cardiologist, a professor, an associate member of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, a member of the European Society of Cardiology, and vice president of the Ukrainian Association of Cardiologists and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Kyiv.

According to the doctor, patients with cardiovascular diseases should be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the first place:

‘People with cardiovascular diseases are not only in a severe COVID-19 risk group, but also have several times higher risk of heart attack and stroke if contracting the coronavirus. Therefore, vaccination is mandatory.’

In addition, the expert noted that the Delta variant of the coronavirus is really more dangerous for people with heart diseases and other risk groups. She explained:

‘First, the Delta variant is more contagious than, for example, the British variant of COVID-19. Secondly, the viral load is also much higher, which causes a more severe course of the disease. Thirdly, unfortunately, it leads to a higher rate of lethal cases. Therefore, these factors pose the main danger, especially for people with cardiovascular diseases.’

Kateryna Amosova also spoke about the possible consequences of COVID-19 and its impact on the human cardiovascular system.
‘First of all, negative consequences are observed in people with previously existing chronic diseases of the heart and blood vessels. The risk of heart attack and stroke in the first two weeks and after increases two or three-fold. That is why people are recommended to be under a close monitoring by a cardiologist.

’The expert added that a healthy and balanced diet, sufficient amount of fruit and vegetables, minimized consumption of sugar, salt and fast food can significantly reduce the risk of such complications.

During the entire time of Ask the Doctor broadcasts, the content of the project on the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation’s digital platforms has been viewed 20 million times. The experts of the program’s online broadcasts were such famous healthcare professionals as a cardiac surgeon Borys Todurov; a psychiatrist, a Doctor of Medical Sciences, and a professor Oleh Chaban; the president of the Association of Anaesthesiologists of Ukraine Serhiy Dubrov, and other experts.

Video recordings of the program’s broadcasts with experienced healthcare practitioners are available for watching on the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation’s page in Facebook, and in YouTube.