Covid linked to faster vascular aging

A global study links Covid infection to faster aging of blood vessels, with stronger effects seen in women.

Covid accelerates vascular aging in women new study finds

A global study followed nearly 2,500 people from different regions to track long term effects after a Covid infection. Participants were grouped by how sick they were and whether they were treated in a general ward or an intensive care unit. Vascular aging was measured six months after infection and again after a year using a device that checks how fast blood pressure waves travel in the arteries. All groups with a past infection showed stiffer arteries than people who never had Covid. Among women, the increases in arterial stiffness averaged 0.55 meters per second for mild cases, 0.60 for those hospitalised, and 1.09 for intensive care. An increase of about 0.5 meters per second is considered clinically meaningful and is linked to aging about five years, raising the risk of cardiovascular events with age.
Vaccination appeared to blunt this arterial stiffening, suggesting protection may extend to vascular health after infection. Lead researcher Rosa Maria Bruno of Université Paris Cité emphasized the mechanism: Covid can directly affect blood vessels and may drive what investigators call early vascular aging. The study also notes that the reasons for the stronger effect in women are not yet clear and could relate to immune system differences and how the virus interacts with blood vessel lining. The findings come as new Covid variants keep circulating and vaccination campaigns continue to evolve, underscoring the need for ongoing monitoring of vascular health after infection.

The result shifts the conversation from whether Covid harms the lungs to how it can quietly reshape the circulatory system. The clear gender difference invites deeper study into immune responses and vascular biology. Yet the study has limits: it relies on a single measurement method and a specific group of participants. How these results apply to broader populations remains to be seen. Still, the core message is practical: clinicians may need to consider vascular health checks as part of post infection care, especially for women and people who had severe illness.

Highlights

The data point to a need for follow up, not panic, as science learns how to protect arteries after infection.