Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>COVID-19 has been linked to heart-related complications in patients sick enough to be hospitalized, largely due to the strain severe illness places on the cardiovascular system. Whether milder, community-acquired infections carry similar risks is far less understood, and this question matters given how many people experienced mild or even symptom-free infections during the pandemic. We examined this question using blood samples from 607 community-dwelling adults, checking for antibodies that indicate past SARS-CoV-2 infection and tracking four biomarkers related to heart stress and inflammation over six months. About 15% of participants showed evidence of prior infection at the study's start, and this group tended to have higher body weight and included more Black or African American participants. Over the following six months, people with evidence of prior infection showed a larger rise in NT-proBNP, a protein that increases when the heart is under strain, compared to those without evidence of infection. Other markers showed less consistent patterns. These findings suggest that even mild, non-hospitalized COVID-19 may place subtle, lasting stress on the heart, particularly in people who already carry cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity or existing heart disease. The results support continued attention to heart health, vaccination, and monitoring after COVID-19 infection, especially in higher-risk communities.</p>