New Delhi, Aug 18
A Covid-19 infection can accelerate ageing in blood vessels around five years, particularly in women, according to research.
As blood vessels ages, it can make arteries stiffer -- raising the risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke and heart attack, explained the researchers.
"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,” said Professor Rosa Maria Bruno from Université Paris Cité, France.
“If that is happening, we need to identify who is at risk at an early stage to prevent heart attacks and strokes," Bruno said.
The study, published in the European Heart Journal, included 2,390 people from 16 different countries (Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Turkey, the UK, and the US) who were recruited between September 2020 and February 2022.