Cardiovascular, hematological and renal implications of COVID-19

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Even though currently the cornerstone of research and treatment of COVID-19 patients has been the respiratory system, it is essential to consider that COVID-19 has multiple extrapulmonary manifestations, some severe enough to be fatal. For this reason this review focuses on three intimately related systems: cadiovascular, renal and hematological systems. SARS-CoV-2 enters cells through angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a key regulator of the renin-angiotensinaldosterone system (RAAS), which has been characterized in multiple cardiovascular and renal diseases. The hyperinflammatory state in COVID-19 leads to microvascular dysfunction, hypercoagulability, arrhythmias, and acute kidney injury. The importance of diverse multisystemic markers should be highlighted, they have been shown to be predictors of severity and highly useful in the management of patients with COVID-19 to avoid future complications related to the disease.