Doctors told about the first cause of death during a pandemic

In 2020, a record increase in mortality was noted in St. Petersburg. In addition to the CORONAVIRUS, cardiovascular diseases have made a significant contribution to excess mortality. They, and not a new infection, became the first cause of death in St. Petersburg during the pandemic. However, the leadership of cardiovascular pathologies in the list of causes of deaths has been observed for many years in a row - an unpleasant surprise was that the positive dynamics was interrupted: until 2019, the number of deaths from heart attacks and strokes decreased, and in 2020 it increased sharply.

RBC Petersburg asked doctors about the reason for the dramatic performance. If some interlocutors of the agency named biological factors among the main factors - the coronavirus itself strikes at the human cardiovascular system, then others - focused on organizational mistakes made in the country and the city. At the same time, all experts name among the deadly, in the literal sense of the word, factors - the psychological mood of the inhabitants.

Maxim Didenko, HEAD of the Cardiac Surgery Department (Heart Rhythm Disorders) of the Military Medical Academy. Kirov:

“The situation with morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases in 2020-2021 has seriously worsened, and this is directly related to the characteristics of the coronavirus. It "works" in two directions - on the one hand, it potentiates these diseases, that is, it stimulates their appearance, on the other hand, against its background, they are more difficult.