Introduction:

COVID-19 is a new disease which provokes damage to human health, with direct impact on the cardiovascular system.

Objective:

to describe the pathophysiogenic mechanisms involved in the cardiovascular damage in COVID-19 patients.

Method:

a literature review was carried out, through articles retrieved in PubMed, SciELO, EBSCO and ClinicalKey, using 27 references.

Development:

different pathophysiogenic mechanisms are associated with cardiovascular damage in COVID-19 patients; among them direct myocardial injury, viral invasion of cardiomyocytes, alteration of myocardial supply-demand index, atheroma-plaque rupture and coronary thrombosis, systemic inflammation and electrolyte imbalances.

Conclusions:

determining the mechanisms involved in cardiovascular damage is a fundamental pillar as a preventive and screening strategy in COVID-19 patients. Inflammatory response, secondary hemodynamic changes to the viral process, as well as hypoxemia, are mechanisms of negative impact on cardiovascular health, leading to the development of acute cardiac injury.

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