Daijiworld Media Network - Paris

Paris, Sep 19: A single COVID-19 infection could make arteries behave as if they were five to ten years older, according to the CARTESIAN study published in the European Heart Journal. The multinational investigation of 2,390 participants across 18 countries found that survivors of COVID-19 had significantly stiffer arteries — a key marker of “vascular ageing” — compared to those never infected, with the effect most pronounced in women.

Lead author Dr Rosa Maria Bruno of France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research said, “The pulse wave velocity in women after COVID corresponded to that of women five to ten yeaars older.” Arterial stiffening raises the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and dementia.

Researchers measured carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity about six months after infection. Even after adjusting for age, blood pressure, diabetes and smoking, survivors showed arterial stiffness equivalent to five extra years of ageing, with ICU patients showing up to a decade. Women with long-COVID symptoms such as fatigue and breathlessness were the worst affected.

Encouragingly, follow-ups suggested stiffness stabilised or slightly improved over a year but did not return to normal. Vaccination appeared to blunt the effect.

Not all experts are convinced. Dr Balbir Singh of Max Healthcare, Delhi, cautioned that the absence of pre-COVID data limits conclusions. “These findings suggest arterial stiffness could be accelerated in patients who had COVID, but do not conclusively prove it,” he said.

Still, cardiologists like Syed Bukhari of Johns Hopkins University urge routine cardiovascular risk checks, especially in women recovering from COVID-19. With India already burdened by high rates of heart disease and little domestic data, doctors say the findings underscore the need for homegrown studies to assess long-term cardiovascular risks.