A COVID-19 infection can accelerate aging in blood vessels by approximately five years, particularly in women, according to new research.
As blood vessels age, arteries become stiffer, raising the risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke and heart attack, researchers explained.
Professor Rosa Maria Bruno from Université Paris Cité, France, stated: “We know that COVID can directly affect blood vessels.
We believe that this may result in what we call early vascular aging, meaning that your blood vessels are older than your chronological age and you are more susceptible to heart disease.
” The study, published in the European Heart Journal, included 2,390 people from 16 different countries who were recruited between September 2020 and February 2022.
Results revealed that all groups of COVID patients, including those with mild cases, had stiffer arteries compared to uninfected individuals.
The effect was more pronounced in women than in men and in people experiencing persistent long COVID symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue.
Notably, vaccinated individuals generally had less stiff arteries than the unvaccinated. Over time, vascular aging associated with COVID infection appeared to stabilize or slightly improve.
