Covid may prematurely age blood vessels by around five years, according to a new study, increasing the risk of .
Research published in the European Heart Journal revealed that a Covid infection could accelerate the ageing of blood vessels, particularly in women.
Vaccinated individuals show less stiffening in their arteries and stabilised symptoms over time in comparison to those who had not been protected against Covid.
Lead researcher Professor Rosa Maria Bruno, from Université Paris Cité, said: “We know that Covid can directly affect blood vessels. We believe that this may result in what we call early vascular ageing, meaning that your blood vessels are older than your chronological age and you are more susceptible to heart disease.
“If that is happening, we need to identify who is at risk at an early stage to prevent heart attacks and strokes.”
The new study tested nearly 2,500 people from across the world, categorising them based on whether they had Covid and whether they had been hospitalised for it, both in a general ward and in an intensive care unit. Tests were taken six months after an infection and again after 12 months.
It measured each person’s vascular age with a device that examines how quickly a wave of blood pressure travels between the artery in the neck and the legs. The higher the measurement meant the stiffer the blood vessels, indicating a higher vascular age.
It found that all three groups of patients who had a Covid infection had stiffer arteries compared to those who hadn’t been affected.
The average increase in women was 0.55 meters per second for those who had mild Covid, 0.60 for those who had been hospitalised, and 1.09 for those in intensive care.
According to researchers, an increase of around 0.5 meters per second is “clinically relevant” and equivalent to ageing around five years. It also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, like heart attack, stroke or sudden cardiac arrest, in 60-year-old women by 3 per cent.
The difference between men and women could come down to immune systems, Prof Bruno added.
She said: “Women mount a more rapid and robust immune response, which can protect them from infection. However, this same response can also increase damage to blood vessels after the initial infection.”
She said the virus acts on specific receptors in the body that are in the lining of the blood vessels. The virus will use these receptors to enter and infect cells.
Last month, it was reported that a new strain of Covid had spread across the UK, accounting for the highest proportion of cases – around 30 per cent.
Experts warned the Stratus strain was resisting immunity and had a unique symptom of giving people a