Mild COVID-19 Can Age Blood Vessels by 5 Years, Study Reveals

Kokcha News Agency: A groundbreaking international study published in the European Heart Journal reveals that even mild cases of COVID-19 can accelerate the aging of blood vessels by up to five years. This “vascular aging” process, characterized by the stiffening of blood vessels, makes it harder for oxygen to reach organs and can significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and dementia.

The study involved 2,390 participants from 16 countries and found that women, in particular, experienced more pronounced vascular aging after COVID-19. Professor Rosa Maria Bruno from Paris Cité University explained, “COVID can directly affect blood vessels, making them biologically older than their chronological age and increasing susceptibility to heart disease.”

Participants’ vascular age was measured using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) tests, conducted six and twelve months after COVID-19 infection. The results showed that women with mild COVID-19 experienced an average increase in arterial stiffness of 0.55 meters per second, while those hospitalized saw a 0.60 m/s increase, and ICU patients had a 1.09 m/s increase. Experts noted that this increase is equivalent to five years of aging in a 60-year-old woman, significantly raising the risk of heart disease.

The study also highlighted the protective effects of COVID-19 vaccination, with vaccinated individuals showing lower levels of arterial stiffness that stabilized over time. Prof. Bruno suggested that the virus’s interaction with ACE2 receptors and post-infection immune responses may accelerate vascular aging, with women potentially more affected due to differences in their immune systems.

Experts recommend lifestyle changes and medications to lower blood pressure and cholesterol as ways to mitigate the effects of vascular aging. The research team will continue monitoring participants to determine if accelerated vascular aging increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Dr. Behnood Bikdeli from Harvard Medical School commented, “While the acute threat of the COVID-19 pandemic has eased, we now face a new challenge. The critical question is: Can we find interventions to prevent these effects in future waves of infection?”