Key result
COVID-19 infection linked to ~16% higher cfPWV, indicating increased arterial stiffness.
Why the study?
COVID-19 is a multisystemic disease with potential long-term cardiovascular complications, and its effect on arterial stiffness measured by cfPWV needed evaluation.
Does COVID-19 infection increase carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity compared to controls?
Meta-Analysis (n=536)
Does COVID-19 infection increase carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity compared to controls?
Mean Difference: 1.32 (95% CI 0.38–2.26)
Absolute Event Rate: 9.5% vs 8.2%
p-value: p=0.006
COVID-19 infection is significantly associated with increased carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, indicating increased arterial stiffness and potential long-term cardiovascular risk.
May signal long-term CV risk in survivors; extends observational data on vascular effects but leaves causal impact open.
COVID-19 is a complex multisystemic disease that can result in long-term complications and, in severe cases, death. This study investigated the effect of COVID-19 on carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) as a measurement to evaluate its impact on arterial stiffness and might help predict COVID-19-related cardiovascular (CV) complications. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant studies, and meta-analysis was performed. The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO (nr. CRD42023434326). The Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Scale was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. Nine studies reported cfPWV among COVID-19 patients and control groups. The pooled analysis showed that cfPWV in COVID-19 patients was 9.5 ± 3.7, compared to 8.2 ± 2.2 in control groups (MD = 1.32; 95% CI: 0.38–2.26; p = 0.006). A strong association between COVID-19 infection and increased cfPWV suggests a potential link between the virus and increased arterial stiffness. A marked increase in arterial stiffness, a known indicator of CV risk, clearly illustrates the cardiovascular implications of COVID-19 infection. However, further research is required to provide a clearer understanding of the connection between COVID-19 infection, arterial compliance, and subsequent CV events.
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Jannasz et al. (2023) conducted a meta-analysis in COVID-19 (n=536). COVID-19 infection vs. Non-COVID-19 controls was evaluated on Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) (MD 1.32, 95% CI 0.38-2.26, p=0.006). COVID-19 infection was significantly associated with increased carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity compared to non-COVID-19 controls (MD 1.32), indicating increased arterial stiffness.
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