Overview

• The study of 2,390 participants across 16 countries measured carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity at six and twelve months after infection to assess arterial stiffness.
• Prior infection correlated with greater vascular ageing even after mild cases, with women and Long Covid sufferers showing the largest increases.
• Vaccinated participants exhibited less arterial stiffness than unvaccinated counterparts, suggesting immunisation may mitigate vascular effects.
• Among former ICU patients, arterial stiffness partially reversed by the 12-month follow-up, pointing to potential recovery dynamics.
• Cardiology experts warn causation remains unproven and call for targeted longitudinal and mechanistic studies to validate the findings.