But there has been no comprehensive study to confirm this. So Professor Bhindi has launched an Australian study to find out more about the risks faced by cardiac patients.
"We really need to be able to think,which members of our society are susceptible?"he said.
More than 20 hospitals around the country have agreed to take part,and Professor Bhindi hopes to involve more than 800 patients in the study.
As well as looking at people with pre-existing heart disease who develop COVID-19,he said the study will examine heart complications that arise because of COVID-19 and as a result of treatments for the new disease.
Until a robust treatment is available for coronavirus,Professor Bhindi said it would be important to be able to identify people who might be more vulnerable to it.
"These are people that we’d say,‘Look,you've got heart disease,you've got to be careful because if you get COVID-19,yes,you may not do so well',"he said.