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Long-term effects of COVID-19 on endothelial function, arterial stiffness, and blood pressure in college students: a

Jianwei Peng1, Wenhuang Guo1, Peilun Li1

  • 1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Physical Activity and Health Promotion, Guangzhou Sport University, 1268 Middle Guangzhou Avenue, Guangzhou, 510500, Guangdong, China.

BMC Infectious Diseases
|July 27, 2024
PubMed

Insights

COVID-19 negatively impacts college students' vascular health, impairing endothelial function and increasing blood pressure long-term. While arterial stiffness improves over time, blood pressure may worsen post-infection.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Research
  • Infectious Disease Impact
  • Student Health

Background:

  • COVID-19 poses cardiovascular risks, with long-term effects on college students poorly understood.
  • Investigating persistent vascular changes after COVID-19 infection in young adults is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the long-term impact of COVID-19 on arterial stiffness, endothelial function, and blood pressure in college students.
  • To determine the duration and nature of cardiovascular sequelae following SARS-CoV-2 infection in a student population.

Main Methods:

  • Enrolled 37 college students with COVID-19 infection lasting over 2 months.
  • Assessed endothelial function via brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD).
  • Evaluated arterial stiffness using ABI Systems 100, measuring ankle-brachial index (ABI), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP).

Main Results:

  • Significant impairment in FMD (p < 0.001) and increased cfPWV and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p < 0.05) were observed post-COVID-19.
  • Arterial stiffness (baPWV) improved over time (p < 0.01), but diastolic blood pressure (DBP) increased (p < 0.05).
  • No significant changes in ABI or HR, nor correlations with other variables, were found (p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

  • COVID-19 infection leads to lasting detrimental effects on vascular function in college students.
  • While arterial stiffness shows a trend toward improvement, blood pressure may follow an opposing trajectory post-infection.
  • Findings highlight the need for monitoring cardiovascular health in students after COVID-19 recovery.
Abstract

Keywords:
Blood pressureEndothelial functionPost-acute COVID-19 syndromeVascular stiffness

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