BACKGROUND: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) affects the cardiovascular system. The current study investigated changes in heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), pulse wave velocity (PWV), and microcirculation in patients recovering from Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. METHODOLOGY: Out of 43 initially contacted COVID-19 patients, 35 (30 males, 5 females; age: 60 ± 10 years; and body mass index (BMI): 31.8 ± 4.9) participated in this study. Participants were seen on two occasions after hospital discharge; the baseline measurements were collected, either on the day of hospital discharge if a negative PCR test was obtained, or on the 10th day after hospitalization if the PCR test was positive. The second measurements were done 60 days after hospitalization. The vascular measurements were performed using the VICORDER® device and a retinal blood vessel image analysis. RESULTS: A significant increase in systolic BP (SBP) (from 142 mmHg, SD: 15, to 150 mmHg, SD: 19, p = 0.041), reduction in HR (from 76 bpm, SD: 15, to 69 bpm, SD: 11, p = 0.001), and narrower central retinal vein equivalent (CRVE) (from 240.94 μm, SD: 16.05, to 198.05 μm, SD: 17.36, p = 0.013) were found. Furthermore, the trends of increasing PWV (from 11 m/s, SD: 3, to 12 m/s, SD: 3, p = 0.095) and decreasing CRAE (from 138.87 μm, SD: 12.19, to 136.77 μm, SD: 13.19, p = 0.068) were recorded. CONCLUSION: The present study investigated cardiovascular changes following COVID-19 infection at two-time points after hospital discharge (baseline measurements and 60 days post-hospitalization). Significant changes were found in systolic blood pressure, heart rate, and microvasculature indicating that vascular adaptations may be ongoing even weeks after hospitalization from COVID-19 infection. Future studies could involve conducting additional interim assessments during the active infection and post-infection periods.

Centre for Environmental Sciences Hasselt University Belgium

Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences Faculty of Health Sciences Walter Sisulu University PBX1 5117 Mthatha South Africa

Department of General Surgery General Hospital Izola Izola Slovenia

Division of Physiology and Pathophysiology Otto Loewi Research Center for Vascular Biology Immunology and Inflammation Medical University of Graz Austria

Division of Physiology and Pathophysiology Otto Loewi Research Center for Vascular Biology Immunology and Inflammation Medical University of Graz Austria; College of Medicine Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences Dubai United Arab Emirates

Division of Physiology and Pathophysiology Otto Loewi Research Center for Vascular Biology Immunology and Inflammation Medical University of Graz Austria; Faculty of Health and Social Sciences Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences Lillehammer Norway

Faculty of Health and Social Sciences Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences Lillehammer Norway

Internal Medicine Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology Interdisciplinary Metabolic Medicine Trials Unit Medical University of Graz Graz Austria

Laboratory of Neurobiology and Molecular Psychiatry Department of Biochemistry Faculty of Science Masaryk University Kamenice 753 5 625 00 Brno Czech Republic; Laboratory of Neurobiology and Pathological Physiology Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics Czech Academy of Sciences Veveří 97 602 00 Brno Czech Republic

Science and Research Centre Koper Institute for Kinesiology Research Koper Slovenia

Science and Research Centre Koper Institute for Kinesiology Research Koper Slovenia; Biological Psychology and Neuroergonomics Department of Psychology and Ergonomics Faculty 5 Mechanical Engineering and Transport Systems Technische Universität Berlin Berlin Germany

Science and Research Centre Koper Institute for Kinesiology Research Koper Slovenia; Department of Health Sciences Alma Mater Europaea ECM Maribor Slovenia

Science and Research Centre Koper Institute for Kinesiology Research Koper Slovenia; Faculty of Sport University of Ljubljana Slovenia

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