Australians dying from fatal heart attacks SPIKED by 17 per cent last year...

Up to 10,200 Aussies died of ischemic heart disease in the first eight months of 2022 - marking a 17 per cent increase over what would be expected in a 'normal' year....it's definitely not from the you-know-what though...!

Doctors say the effects of the pandemic increased pre-existing risk factors with some people having a heightened risk of disease after recovering from the virus. 

While heart disease has been a leading cause of deaths for several years, experts say lockdowns meant many patients presented much later with progressive symptoms. 

Experts haven't had to look far to find links between coronavirus and cardiovascular issues, with one study finding hospitalisations had ballooned after the p(l)andemic. 

Side, unconnected note: According to Wikipedia; "As of 3 August 2022, Australia had administered 62,492,656 vaccine doses across the country. The country's vaccination rollout initially faced criticism for its slow pace and late start, falling far below initial government targets. Despite this, Australia began vaccinating its citizens at a comparatively fast pace, overtaking the United States in first dose coverage by 10 October 2021. Over 95% of the Australian population aged 12 and over are now fully vaccinated."

The study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, found that hospitalisations of people with myocarditis and pericarditis, pulmonary embolism, heart attacks, and stroke were significantly more frequent after Covid. 

'The estimated risk of myocarditis or pericarditis after SARS‐CoV‐2 infection is 18–21 times as high as for uninfected people,' the study stated. 

Myocarditis relates to the inflammation of the heart muscle while pericarditis is the swelling of the thin saclike tissue surrounding the heart. 

'Similarly, the risk of acute myocardial infarction is 3–6 times, that of ischaemic stroke 3–10 times, and the risk of venous thrombo‐embolism (blood clots in the veins) up to eight times as high,' it continued. 

Cardiologists say the impact of the virus on the hospital system also saw a number of patients presenting in the late stage of disease - with diagnosis and treatment also delayed throughout the pandemic.

'So it's not just that a lot of people are dying, but we're seeing a lot of people at a whole range of different stages of [heart] disease,' he said.

Australia has recorded an uptick in serious heart problems, with rates of heart attacks and strokes higher in people who have recovered from the virus, compared to those who have never been infected. 

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