Covid may be a vascular disease, but Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) patients are at higher risk.

When we think of Covid-19, images of people struggling to breathe come to mind. Many people think of it as primarily a virus that attacks the lungs. But new research is now demonstrating that Covid is a disease of the vascular system rather than the respiratory system. A study from the University of San Diego published in Circulation Research shows how Covid destroys vascular endothelial cells.

The research shows that Covid-19 destroys the endothelium tissue, which is the thin membrane that lines our blood vessels. Endothelial cells regulate blood clotting, immune, platelets, and blood flow. Endothelial cells are vital toward providing vascular relaxation and contraction, as well as maintaining blood pressure.

The Salk Institute is also researching the vascular component of Covid-19 and how the “spike proteins” infect our cells and their role in how Covid-19 affects the vascular system. The respiratory symptoms can be attributed to damage to the vascular cells within the respiratory system. According to Assistant Research Professor Uri Manor, who is co-senior author of the study, “A lot of people think of it as respiratory disease, but it’s a vascular disease. That could explain why some people have strokes, and why some people have issues in other parts of the body. The commonality between them is that they all have vascular underpinnings.”

If you are a PAD patient and have had Covid-19, it is essential to be under the care of a PAD and vascular expert like Dr. David Nabi of NewportVascular.com. With this evolving research on the effects of Covid-19 and the vascular system, it is important to make sure that you do not have residual damage to your vascular system due to damage of the endothelium.

Another concern with Covid-19 for PAD patients is that it may contribute to a higher rate of blood clots. Blood clots can be fatal or result in devasting medical complications like pulmonary embolus, strokes, or blood vessel blockage. When there is a blockage to the blood vessels in the limbs, it can result in tissue death. Blockages restrict oxygenation to the body.

If you have PAD, it is critical to be under the care of a vascular surgeon, especially after being infected with Covid-19. It is imperative to contact your doctor immediately with new or worsening PAD symptoms. If you have symptoms of severe pain, severe swelling in your lower extremities, shortness of breath, or chest pain, this may require emergency treatment, so seek care or contact your doctor immediately.