Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Measuring the Carotid to Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (Cf-PWV) to Evaluate Arterial Stiffness
05:51

Measuring the Carotid to Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (Cf-PWV) to Evaluate Arterial Stiffness

Published on: May 3, 2018

Arterial Stiffness, Clinical-Functional Outcomes, and Quality of Life in Post-COVID-19 Patients: A Cross-Sectional

Bruna Cavon Luna1, Ana Cristina Lamezon1, Emilton Lima Junior1

  • 1Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina Interna e Ciências da Saúde da Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR - Brasil.

Arquivos Brasileiros De Cardiologia
|August 6, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Post-COVID-19 patients show increased arterial stiffness and worse functional outcomes. However, arterial stiffness is mainly linked to aging and hemodynamics, not solely to the post-COVID-19 condition itself.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

  • Arterial stiffness and remodeling are linked to oxidative stress, neuroendocrine changes, and genetics.
  • These mechanisms are also implicated in COVID-19 pathophysiology.
  • The impact of post-COVID-19 on arterial stiffness and hemodynamics remains under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess arterial stiffness, hemodynamic parameters, and clinical-functional outcomes in post-COVID-19 patients.
  • To compare these parameters between post-COVID-19 patients and a control group.
  • To understand the factors influencing arterial stiffness in the post-COVID-19 context.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study comparing 32 post-COVID-19 patients with matched controls.
  • Arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx@75).
  • Functional performance, quality of life, fatigue, dyspnea, and sleep quality were assessed using validated scales.

Main Results:

  • Post-COVID-19 patients exhibited significantly higher PWV and AIx@75, indicating increased arterial stiffness.
  • Worse functional performance, poorer quality of life, increased fatigue, dyspnea, and impaired sleep quality were observed in the post-COVID-19 group.
  • Higher central and peripheral blood pressure levels were also noted in post-COVID-19 patients.

Conclusions:

  • Post-COVID-19 patients present with elevated arterial stiffness, altered hemodynamics, and diminished clinical-functional performance.
  • Arterial stiffness is primarily associated with hemodynamic factors and age, rather than post-COVID-19 status alone.
  • Functional impairments in post-COVID-19 patients likely stem from multifactorial causes.
Abstract

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