Covid-19 Effects on ARTErial StIffness and Vascular AgeiNg: CARTESIAN Study Rationale and Protocol

Rosa Maria Bruno*, Bart Spronck, Bernhard Hametner, Alun Hughes, Patrick Lacolley, Christopher C. Mayer, Maria Lorenza Muiesan, Chakravarthi Rajkumar, Dimitrios Terentes-Printzios, Thomas Weber, Tine Willum Hansen, Pierre Boutouyrie, Association for Research into Arterial Structure, Physiology (ARTERY) Society

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

In December 2019, an outbreak of pneumonia caused by a novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) spread rapidly worldwide. Although the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 are dominated by respiratory symptoms, the cardiovascular system is extensively affected at multiple levels. Due to the unprecedented consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ARTERY society decided to launch the Covid-19 effects on ARTErial StIffness and vascular AgeiNg (CARTESIAN) study — the first international multicentre study into the effects of COVID-19 on non-invasive biomarkers of vascular ageing. The main study objective is to evaluate the presence of Early Vascular Ageing (EVA) 6 and 12 months after COVID-19 infection. Secondary objectives are to study the effect of COVID-19 disease severity on EVA, to investigate the role of psychosocial factors in COVID-19 induced EVA, and to investigate the potential modifying effect of comorbidities and chronic treatments. In the CARTESIAN study, a broad array of cardiovascular measurements, including carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, central blood pressure, carotid ultrasound, brachial flow-mediated dilatation, will be performed. To date, 43 centres from 21 countries have agreed to participate, with an expected study population of >2500 individuals. To our knowledge, CARTESIAN will be the first study to provide insight into the relationship between COVID-19, its severity, and early vascular ageing in a large cohort, potentially enabling future care and diagnostics to be more focused on the most vulnerable.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)59-68
Number of pages10
JournalArtery Research
Volume27
Issue number2
Early online date2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2021

Keywords

  • ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME
  • AMERICAN SOCIETY
  • ANGIOTENSIN-II
  • AORTIC STIFFNESS
  • COVID-19
  • DISEASE
  • ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY
  • EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION
  • INFLAMMATION
  • ORGAN DAMAGE
  • PULSE-WAVE
  • THORACIC AORTA
  • arterial stiffness
  • coronavirus
  • inflammation
  • vascular ageing
  • Covid-19
  • Arterial stiffness
  • Inflammation
  • Vascular ageing
  • Coronavirus

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