- A new study published in the European Heart Journal indicates that a Covid infection can accelerate the aging of blood vessels, potentially by around five years.
- This premature vascular aging, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, was found to be particularly pronounced in women.
- The research, involving nearly 2,500 participants, measured arterial stiffness and found that all groups who had contracted Covid exhibited stiffer arteries compared to those who had not.
- An increase in arterial stiffness of approximately 0.5 meters per second, equivalent to five years of aging, was deemed clinically relevant and raises the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Researchers suggest that women's more robust immune response to Covid, while protective against infection, might also contribute to increased damage to blood vessels post-infection.
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