COVID-19 has left many people with lingering health problems, and new research suggests one of its hidden impacts may be on our blood vessels.
A large international study has found that people who had COVID—even mild cases—show signs that their arteries have aged more quickly.
The effect was especially strong in women, whose blood vessels appeared to age by about five years after infection.
The study, published in the European Heart Journal, involved 2,390 people from 16 countries, including Australia, France, the UK, and the US. Researchers compared people who never had COVID with those who had mild illness, those who had been hospitalized, and those treated in intensive care.
They measured the stiffness of each participant’s arteries six months and twelve months after infection, using a method called pulse wave velocity.
This test tracks how fast blood pressure waves move through the body: the stiffer the arteries, the faster the wave travels, and the “older” the blood vessels are considered to be.
Blood vessels naturally become stiffer with age, which raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. But in this study, people who had COVID had stiffer arteries than those who had never been infected.
Women were the most affected. Even women who had only mild COVID showed changes in artery stiffness equivalent to around five years of aging, while those treated in intensive care had even greater changes.
Professor Rosa Maria Bruno of Université Paris Cité, who led the research, explained that COVID may cause what she calls “early vascular aging,” where blood vessels behave as though they belong to someone older.
She noted that COVID uses receptors on blood vessel linings to enter cells, which may directly damage the vessels. In addition, the strong immune response triggered by infection—especially in women—may increase inflammation and harm blood vessel health.
The study also found that people who had been vaccinated generally had less stiff arteries compared to those who were unvaccinated, suggesting vaccination helps protect against long-term damage. Encouragingly, the vascular aging seen after infection appeared to stabilize or improve slightly over time.
Experts say this discovery is significant because stiffer arteries are linked with higher risks of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems. Fortunately, vascular aging is measurable and treatable.
Lifestyle changes such as exercise, healthy eating, and quitting smoking, along with medications for blood pressure or cholesterol, can reduce risks and help keep blood vessels healthy.
Researchers plan to continue following participants to see whether these changes actually lead to more heart attacks or strokes in the long run.
For now, the message is clear: COVID may have lasting effects on blood vessels, and women in particular should be aware of the potential impact on heart health.
