COVID-19 May hasten vascular aging in women, study finds

A large international study has found that COVID-19 infection can accelerate vascular aging, particularly in women, by increasing the stiffness of the large arteries years ahead of normal aging. Six to twelve months after infection, women showed measurable increases in arterial stiffness, with the most pronounced effects among those who had severe illness. Vaccination appeared to lessen this vascular aging, offering some protection against long-term cardiovascular damage.

The study, the CARTESIAN project, recruited about 2,390 adults from 16 countries and followed participants for six and then 12 months after infection. Participants were categorized into four groups: those never infected, those with confirmed infection but not hospitalized, those hospitalized, and those who required intensive care. Vascular aging was assessed using carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity, a standard measure of arterial stiffness where higher values indicate stiffer, older vessels. Across all infected groups, arteries were stiffer than in those never infected, but the gender pattern was striking: women with confirmed infection exhibited significantly higher stiffness than uninfected women,...