Mild cases of COVID-19 can have long-term detrimental effects on cardiovascular health, new international research has shown.
The study, which included the University of Portsmouth researchers, was the first to compare pre- and post-COVID infection levels of arterial stiffness.
The researchers used baseline measurements from a group of participants involved in a separate study that began pre-pandemic, also investigating arterial stiffness, and found that in those who had been diagnosed with mild COVID-19, artery and central cardiovascular function were affected by the disease two to three months after infection.
Writing in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, the researchers say side effects include stiffer and more dysfunctional arteries that could lead to cardiovascular disease development. Age and time from COVID infection is also associated with increased ageing of the arteries.
Co-author Dr Maria Perissiou from the University of Portsmouth’s School of Sport, Health & Exercise Science, said: “We were surprised to observe such a decline in vascular health, which deteriorated even further with time since COVID-19 infection. Usually, you’d expect inflammation to decrease with time after infection, and for all the physiological functions to go back to normal or a healthy level.
“We can only speculate on what causes this phenomenon without further investigation, but emerging evidence suggests that it stems from COVID-19 triggering the auto-immune process that leads to vasculature deterioration.”
The study was part of the University of Split’s NormPreven project funded by the Croatian Science Foundation, and the team formation was facilitated by EU COST VascAgeNet action.
Participants were monitored between October 2019 and April 2022 in the Laboratory for Vascular Aging at the University of Split School of Medicine.
Most were under 40 years old and healthy, with 9% having high blood pressure, and none having high cholesterol. Two were diabetic, and 78% did not smoke. Males made up 56% of the cohort and females 44%.
Study leader Professor Ana Jeroncic, from the University of Split, said: “Given the number of people infected with COVID-19 worldwide, the fact that infection can have harmful effects on cardiovascular health in young people who had a mild form of the disease warrants close monitoring.
“The question remains as to whether this harmful effect is irreversible or permanent, and if not, for how long it lasts.”
Dr Perissiou added: “This study, while small, does support the prediction amongst vascular physiologists that we’ll have an increase in cardiovascular disease in the future as a result of COVID-19 infections. But we have to consider what other variables would have contributed to this increase.”
The paper recommends further research is needed to strengthen our understanding of causes and contributing factors.
Podrug M, Koren P, Maras ED et al. Long-Term Adverse Effects of Mild COVID-19 Disease on Arterial Stiffness, and Systemic and Central Hemodynamics: A Pre-Post Study. J. Clin. Med. April 2023
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