A new study has found that a COVID-19 infection can cause premature aging in blood vessels, with women being disproportionately affected.
The research, published in the *European Heart Journal*, reveals that even a mild case of COVID-19 can age a woman’s blood vessels by an additional five years. For women who had a severe infection requiring intensive care, the vascular aging was equivalent to ten extra years.
This accelerated aging significantly increases the long-term risk of heart disease.
The lead researcher, Dr. Rosa Maria Bruno, explained that the coronavirus directly affects blood vessels, causing them to age faster than a person’s chronological age. This finding highlights a serious potential long-term health consequence of the virus.
