2,390 people across 16 countries were studied – from those who had mild Covid cases to those hospitalised – and the results show Covid can age arteries by up to five years, hitting women hardest
Covid may have aged your arteries by as much as five years – with women hit hardest, bombshell research reveals.
Scientists found that even mild Covid infections can stiffen blood vessels – a change usually seen with aging that raises the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular problems. The good news is that people who had been vaccinated generally had less stiff arteries that those who had not, the study found.
Study leader Professor Rosa Maria Bruno said many people struck by Covid are still battling symptoms months or even years later and that scientists are “still learning what’s happening in the body to create these symptoms”. It comes after an emergency doctor revealed a simple five-second test that could warn you of a heart condition.
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She said: “We know that Covid can directly affect blood vessels. We believe that this may result in what we call early vascular ageing, meaning that your blood vessels are older than your chronological age and you are more susceptible to heart disease. If that is happening, we need to identify who is at risk at an early stage to prevent heart attacks and strokes.”
2,390 people from 16 different countries – including the UK and the US – took part in the study, published in the European Heart Journal. Between September 2020 to February 2022, participants were split into four groups: those who never had Covid, those who recently had Covid but were not hospitalised, those hospitalised for Covid on a general ward and most seriously, those treated in intensive care.
Shocking findings revealed that all three groups of Covid-infected patients – including those with mild Covid – had stiffer arteries than those who had never been infected. The effect was greater in women than men and stronger in people who experienced persistent long Covid symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue.
Reassuringly, vaccinated people generally had less stiff arteries than unvaccinated patients. Over time, the vascular ageing linked to Covid infection seemed to level off or improve slightly.
Researchers measured each person’s vascular age with a device tracking how quickly a pulse of blood travels from the carotid artery in the neck to the femoral arteries in the legs. This measurement – called carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) – indicates arterial stiffness. The higher the number, the stiffer the blood vessels and the higher the person’s vascular age. Measurements were taken six months after Covid infection and again after 12 months. Researchers also took into account the sex and age of patients along with other factors that can influence cardiovascular health.
The average PWV increase in women was 0.55 metres per second for those with mild Covid, 0.60 for women hospitalised and 1.09 for those treated in intensive care. Researchers say an increase of around 0.5 metres per second is “clinically relevant” – equivalent to ageing around five years – and raises the risk of cardiovascular disease by 3 percent in a 60-year-old woman.
Prof Bruno, of Université Paris-Cité, explained: “The Covid-19 virus acts on specific receptors in the body, called the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors, that are present on the lining of the blood vessels. The virus uses these receptors to enter and infect cells. This may result in vascular dysfunction and accelerated vascular ageing. Our body’s inflammation and immune responses, which defend against infections, may be also involved.”
Discussing why women were worst affected, she explained: “Women mount a more rapid and robust immune response, which can protect them from infection. However, this same response can also increase damage to blood vessels after the initial infection.”
Prof Bruno added that vascular ageing can be tackled with a number of treatments, including lifestyle changes and blood pressure- or cholesterol-lowering medications. These measures help lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Scientists behind the study said they will continue following participants to see whether the accelerated vascular ageing they found leads to a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes.