Abstract
A growing number of patients develop new cardiovascular problems in the months after recovering from SARSCoV-2–associated pneumonia, yet the early signals that mark who is at risk are still not well defined. The aim of this study was to compare patients who later developed cardiovascular complications with those who did not, and to identify routine clinical and laboratory parameters that predict a complicated course. We conducted a retrospective review of 36 patients aged 25 to 87 years who were treated for SARS-CoV-2–associated pneumonia in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Patients were divided into two groups: 21 who developed cardiovascular complications within one year (Group I) and 15 who did not (Group II). Medical records, complete blood counts, biochemistry, coagulation profiles, and computed tomography findings were analysed in IBM SPSS, and correlation analysis was used to assess the associations between candidate markers and outcomes. Group I patients were on average older, more often female, and carried a heavier burden of arterial hypertension and ischaemic heart disease. They showed a markedly higher D-dimer (median 266 µg/L versus 1.26 µg/L), elevated C-reactive protein (20.4 mg/L), and a raised neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (3.65 versus 1.25). Cerebral infarction occurred in 5 patients (23.8%) of Group I, and a positive correlation was found between high D-dimer and the development of cerebral infarction. Taken together, comorbidity, raised D-dimer and C-reactive protein, and a high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio behaved as predictors of a complicated course and may help identify patients who would benefit from early anticoagulant prophylaxis.