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Published on: February 11, 2017
Reduced Flow-Mediated Dilatation Is Not Related to COVID-19 Severity Three Months after Hospitalization for
Marianne Riou1,2, Walid Oulehri1,3, Cedric Momas2
1Team 3072 "Mitochondria, Oxidative Stress and Muscle Protection", Unistra, Faculty of Medicine, Translational Medicine Federation of Strasbourg (FMTS), University of Strasbourg, 11 rue Humann, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
Insights
Three months after COVID-19 infection, hospitalized survivors often show reduced brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD). This impaired vascular function was not linked to COVID-19 severity, suggesting broader endothelial effects.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant mortality, with the vascular endothelium implicated in its pathophysiology.
- Long-term vascular effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly functional vasodilation, remain largely uncharacterized.
- Understanding post-COVID-19 vascular changes is crucial for managing long-term health consequences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in COVID-19 patients three months after infection.
- To compare FMD in COVID-19 survivors with age- and sex-matched controls.
- To investigate the association between impaired FMD and COVID-19 severity.
Main Methods:
- Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was measured in 27 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 9 controls.
- Measurements were taken three months post-SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis.
- Statistical analysis compared FMD between groups and correlated it with hospitalization details.
Main Results:
- COVID-19 patients exhibited significantly lower FMD compared to controls (8.2% vs. 10.3%, p=0.002).
- Half of the hospitalized COVID-19 survivors had reduced FMD (<8%) three months after onset.
- Impaired FMD was not associated with intensive care unit admission, hospitalization duration, or lung damage severity.
Conclusions:
- Reduced FMD is a common finding in COVID-19 survivors up to three months post-hospitalization.
- The observed impairment in vascular function does not appear to be directly related to the severity of the initial COVID-19 illness.
- Further research with larger cohorts is needed to clarify the prognostic value and underlying mechanisms of FMD alterations in COVID-19 patients.
Abstract:
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread rapidly worldwide, with more than two million deaths. Evidence indicates the critical role of the vascular endothelium in its pathophysiology but, like potential changes in functional vasodilation, the vascular effect of SARS-CoV-2 at a given distance from the acute infection is largely unknown. We assessed brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in 27 COVID-19 patients needing conventional or intensive care unit hospitalization, three months after SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis and in nine age- and sex- matched control subjects. Interestingly, the FMD was lower in COVID-19 patients as compared to controls (8.2 (7.2-8.9) vs. 10.3 (9.1-11.7)); p = 0.002, and half of the hospitalized COVID-19 survivors presented with a reduced FMD < 8% at three months of COVID-19 onset. Impaired FMD was not associated with severe or critical SARS-CoV-2 infection, reflected by ICU hospitalization, total hospitalization duration, or severity of lung damage. In conclusion, reduced FMD is often observed even three months after hospitalization for SARS-CoV-2 infection, but such alteration predominantly appears to not be related to COVID-19 severity. Longer and larger follow-up studies will help to clarify the potential prognosis value of FMD among COVID-19 patients, as well as to further determine the mechanisms involved.
