WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study in the European Heart Journal found that COVID-19 infection may cause blood vessels to age faster, roughly the equivalent of five years, especially in women.
The study looked at 2,390 people from 16 countries between 2020 and 2022. Participants were grouped into different categories such as those who never had COVID, those who had COVID but weren't hospitalized, those who were hospitalized, and those admitted to intensive care. The average age was 50, and about half were women.
Researchers measured how stiff participants' arteries were using a test called pulse wave velocity (PWV), which checks how fast blood flows from the neck to the legs. They tested people 6 months after infection and again at 12 months.
Results showed that people who had COVID, even mild cases, had stiffer arteries compared to those who never had the virus. Women were more affected than men, and people with long COVID symptoms had worse results.
In women, the increase in PWV was 0.55 meters/second for mild cases, 0.60 for hospitalized cases, and 1.09 for ICU cases.
Notably, even a 0.5 increase is considered important because it equals about five years of aging in blood vessels and raises the risk of heart disease by 3 percent in a 60-year-old woman.
'There are several possible explanations for the vascular effects of COVID. 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,' lead author Professor Rosa Maria Bruno explained.
'This may result in vascular dysfunction and accelerated vascular aging. Our body's inflammation and immune responses, which defend against infections, may also be involved.'
The researchers noted that vaccinated people generally had less stiff arteries than those who weren't vaccinated.
'Vascular aging is easy to measure and can be addressed with widely available treatments, such as lifestyle changes, blood pressure-lowering and cholesterol-lowering drugs. For people with accelerated vascular aging, it is important to do whatever possible to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes,' Professor Bruno stated.
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