Know Why Women Are More Vulnerable to Heart Problems After COVID Infection

Due to covid-19 many people lost their dear ones. For long time experts are trying to explore aftermath of corona virus infection and now study has found out that covid infection may trigger vascular ageing around five years, specially in women. Professor Rosa Maria Bruno, Université Paris Cité, France, found that a Covid infection, particularly in women, may lead to the aging of blood vessels. This study was published in European Heart Journal. 

Professor Rosa Maria Bruno said, “Since the pandemic, we have learned that many people who have had Covid are left with symptoms that can last for months or even years. However, we are still learning what’s happening in the body to create these symptoms."

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,” she added.

About Study 

Researchers studied around 2,390 people from 16 different countries  from September 2020 to Feb 2022. People were categorized in four groups, and their vascular age was examined. Higher the measurement stiffer the blood vessels and the higher the vascular age of a person. Then measurements were taken after six months after covid infection and again after 12 months.  

Result of study 

After study researchers found out that people who had Covid, including those with mild Covid had stiffer arteries than those who never had the infection. The effect of this was stronger in women and in those with long Covid symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath. Women with mild, hospitalized, or ICU-treated COVID experienced average artery stiffening (PWV) increases of 0.55 m/s, 0.60 m/s, and 1.09 m/s, respectively.

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Researchers noted that a clinically relevant increase of approximately 0.5 m/s is comparable to five years of aging in a 60-year-old woman and elevates cardiovascular disease risk by 3%. Vaccination was associated with less artery stiffening.