The Impact of COVID-19 on Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Authors

Iwona Jannasz
Michal Pruc
Mansur Rahnama-Hezavah
Tomasz Targowski
Robert Olszewski
Stepan Feduniw
Karolina Petryka
Lukasz Szarpak

Publication Date

9-4-2023

Journal

Journal of Clinical Medicine

DOI

10.3390/jcm12175747

PMID

37685813

PMCID

PMC10488425

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

9-4-2023

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, pulse wave velocity, PWV, cfPWV, arterial stiffness

Abstract

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.