The Unavoidable Truths from the Covid Pandemic (Spoiler Alert – Its Good News)
Dr. David Manela is the medical director of Manela Cardiology PLLC. This is a premier cardiovascular center that offers a comprehensive spectrum of services from prevention to treatment as well as providing help from nutritionists and behavioral therapy. All of this is included in a fixed annual very affordable membership... more
The covid pandemic remains consuming and the aftershocks are still reverberating. We are slowly escaping its throes and for as much as we just want to resume normal living – certain changes will be inevitable and our approach to health will reflect this in the years to come. How did it change the way we think about cardiovascular disease? And in what way did it unveil certain truths that were never quite appreciated by society at large?
It starts with the story of the bat. It's home to the coronavirus, and remarkably remains resistant to any of its untoward and ill effects; and, for that matter, to the many other virulent viruses, it tends to attract. To make matters worse, bat caves are damp, crowded, and pretty much unruly! And just a great breeding place for bats and viruses alike. The conditions are ripe for the virus, but what advantage does the bat have in keeping it so resilient.
It turns out the bat is the only mammal that takes flight; others are just too heavy to take this leap. But this is no small feat. If the bat enjoyed a large breakfast and led a more sedentary lifestyle, it wouldn’t take much time before taking flight wouldn’t be an option at all. Studies have shown that its amazing cardiovascular fitness is in fact why it’s able to remain so strong and immune in the face of even the most haunting virus. And sadly, it didn’t take too long to observe that many of those impacted by corona were those with “subprime” cardiovascular profiles. Whether obese or hypertensive or mostly sedentary, these were the ones who were most symptomatic at the peak of infection. Studies have now shown that in these individuals, there is a proliferation of the ACE2 receptor – which is also the honing beacon for the virus. The more “out of shape” the more likely ACE2 receptors prevail over the surfaces of cells and transform them into a natural habitat for the virus.
The bat keeps in shape and prevails over infection; we get out of shape and infection prevails. Cardiovascular health is not simply a means to avoid a heart attack or stroke; it’s part and parcel of maintaining the other vital aspects of our health. Infusing vigor within our immune system and keeping us safe in times of pandemics. The molecular changes that reflect poor cardiovascular health have a myriad of effects and there is no more time to wait and see how that unfolds. Now is the time to take that leap. Let us fly over our prior assumptions, take a new approach to our health and prove that there is another mammal out there that can be just as resilient in the face of any threat – US!
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