Shocking Study Reveals: COVID-19 Can Speed Up Artery Aging in Women, Raising Risk of Heart Attacks & Stroke
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): A groundbreaking international study has revealed a shocking after-effect of COVID-19 infection — it can make blood vessels age by up to 5 years, significantly increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cardiac arrest.
The study, published in the European Heart Journal, highlights that this alarming impact is particularly severe among women suffering from “long COVID”, i.e., those who continue to experience symptoms months after recovering from the infection.
Research on 2,400 People Across 16 Countries
The research was conducted across 16 countries including Australia, Brazil, and several European nations, covering nearly 2,400 participants, half of whom were women. Normally, blood vessels stiffen with age, but researchers found that COVID-19 accelerates this process drastically.
Lead researcher Dr. Rosa Maria Bruno of Paris City University said, “After the pandemic, we observed many patients with lingering symptoms for months or years. We are still trying to understand the underlying biological mechanisms behind these long-term effects.”
How Was Artery Aging Measured?
Scientists used a method called carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, which measures how quickly blood pressure waves travel between the neck and leg arteries. Faster waves indicate stiffer, “older” arteries. Measurements were taken 6 and 12 months after infection, revealing disturbing patterns.
Women Hit the Hardest
The results were especially worrying for women:
Women with mild COVID-19 showed an average vascular aging of 0.55 m/s, equivalent to years of natural aging. Women hospitalized due to COVID showed an even worse effect of 0.60 m/s.The most severely ill women recorded over 1 m/s increase — a dramatic acceleration of vascular aging. In contrast, men showed no significant vascular damage, highlighting a gender-specific vulnerability.
Why Are Women More Affected?
According to Dr. Bruno, the ACE2 receptors, which allow the virus to enter cells, are also present on blood vessel linings. COVID-19 damages these vessels, but women’s stronger immune response, while protective during infection, may later cause excess inflammation and long-term vascular damage. Harvard Medical School researchers have termed this complication as part of “Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome”, a new global health challenge.