COVID-19 took a toll on heart health and doctors are still grappling with how to help

ST. LOUIS (AP) — COVID-19 has taken a toll on the nation’s heart health but how profound is only starting to emerge. Heart attack deaths spiked early in the pandemic, erasing years of progress in battling cardiovascular disease. Then research showed that for up to a year after a bout of COVID-19, some people can develop problems ranging from blood clots to irregular heartbeats to a heart attack. It’s not clear why and doctors still are grappling with how to help.