COVID-19 AND CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM: NOT ONLY HEART BUT ALSO VASCULAR. THE EFFECTS OF THE INFECTION ON ARTERIAL STIFFNESS

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: SARS-CoV-2 determines a framework of multi-organ dysfunction that can involve the cardiovascular system creating damages of different nature. Among these, endothelial damage could play a key role in increasing arterial stiffness and thus the cardiovascular risk of infected patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) of a population of patients after recovery from infection and to compare them with those of a group affected by arterial hypertension. DESIGN AND METHOD: This prospective observational monocentric study involved 143 patients with previous diagnosis of Covid-19 who undergone PWV measurement during the follow-up at a median time of 3.8 months after the infection. These patients were compared to a population of 143 patients with hypertension matched by age, sex, Systolic Blood Pressure values and Body Mass Index. RESULTS: PWV values were higher in Covid-19 group comparing to hypertension group (10.5 ± 3.0 m/s VS 8.9 ± 2.5 m/s). Furthermore, there is a correlation between higher PWV values and lower values of SpO2% at time of admission at the Emergency Department. (R = -0.302;p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 infection seems related to increased PWV values. Moreover, higher arterial stiffness seems correlated to a worse oxygen saturation in Emergency Department. More studies with longer follow-up time are necessary to establish whether the vascular damage is reversible and whether it correlates with an increase of long-term cardiovascular risk. Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.