COVID-19 typically presents as a respiratory illness, but cardiovascular complications such as irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), lack of blood flow to the brain (stroke) and heart failure are also reported in some patients. Men typically have worse outcomes from COVID-19 than women. As pre-existing cardiovascular disease is a known risk factor for severe COVID-19, and has a higher incidence in men, it had been proposed as a possible explanation for these sex differences.
Higher rates of heart issues in men with COVID-19 not explained by pre-existing cardiovascular conditions
COVID-19 typically presents as a respiratory illness, but cardiovascular complications such as irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), lack of blood flow to the brain (stroke) and heart failure are also reported in some patients. Men typically have worse outcomes from COVID-19 than women. As pre-existing cardiovascular disease is a known risk factor for severe COVID-19, and has a higher incidence in men, it had been proposed as a possible explanation for these sex differences.