A critical review on brain and heart axis response in COVID‐19 patients: Molecular mechanisms, mediators, biomarkers, and therapeutics

Abstract

Since the outbreak of highly virulent coronaviruses, significant interest was assessed to the brain and heart axis (BHA) in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2)‐affected patients. The majority of clinical reports accounted for unusual symptoms associated with SARS‐CoV‐2 infections which are of the neurological type, such as headache, nausea, dysgeusia, anosmia, and cerebral infarction. The SARS‐CoV‐2 enters the cells through the angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE‐2) receptor. Patients with prior cardiovascular disease (CVD) have a higher risk of COVID‐19 infection and it has related to various cardiovascular (CV) complications. Infected patients with pre‐existing CVDs are also particularly exposed to critical health outcomes. Overall, COVID‐19 affected patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) and exposed to stressful environmental constraints, featured with a cluster of neurological and CV complications. In this review, we summarized the main contributions in the literature on how SARS‐CoV‐2 could interfere with the BHA and its role in affecting multiorgan disorders. Specifically, the central nervous system involvement, mainly in relation to CV alterations in COVID‐19‐affected patients, is considered. This review also emphasizes the biomarkers and therapy options for COVID‐19 patients presenting with CV problems.