A new study published in the European Heart Journal has found that COVID-19 infections may cause blood vessels to age faster — especially in women.
This means that even after mild infections, people could face higher risks for heart problems like stroke or heart attacks.
Researchers from 16 countries studied 2,390 people between 2020 and 2022. They looked at how stiff the participants’ arteries were — a sign of ‘vascular aging’ or how old a person’s blood vessels are compared to their actual age.
They found that people who had COVID-19, even if it was mild, had stiffer arteries than those who had not been infected. Women were affected more than men.
For example, women who had mild COVID showed an increase in artery stiffness that is equal to about five years of aging. In women who had been in intensive care, the effect was even greater. People who had long COVID symptoms like tiredness or trouble breathing were also more likely to have stiffer arteries.
Being vaccinated appeared to protect people’s blood vessels, as vaccinated individuals had less stiff arteries than those who were unvaccinated. Over time, the blood vessel stiffness seemed to level off or slightly improve.
Experts believe that the virus may damage the lining of blood vessels, or that the body’s immune response might cause this damage. Since blood vessel health is easy to check and treat with lifestyle changes or medications, it’s important to watch for signs of early aging in the arteries.
The researchers plan to keep following these participants to see if the changes lead to more heart disease in the future. This study highlights a new long-term effect of COVID-19 and shows how important it is to prevent and manage heart health — especially in women who have had COVID.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that Changing blood pressure readings is a hidden sign of heart disease and common type 2 diabetes drugs may raise heart risk.
For more about heart health, please read studies about root cause of heart rhythm disorders and Warning signal from the kidneys can predict future heart failure risk.
The study is published in European Heart Journal.
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