COVID-19 is known to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. The intense inflammation that occurs throughout the body in severe cases likely contributes to this increased risk. But it wasn't clear whether SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, also affects blood vessels directly.
Recent Findings on Blood Vessel Infection
To find out, an NIH-funded research team, led by Dr. Chiara Giannarelli at New York University School of Medicine, analyzed coronary artery tissue samples from eight people who died of COVID-19 between May 2020 and May 2021. Results were recently published in Nature Cardiovascular Research.
The team found SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in coronary artery tissue from all patients. They found more viral RNA in the arterial walls than in the surrounding fat tissue. Many of the infected cells were macrophages, a type of white blood cell that ingests pathogens. Samples with more macrophages had more viral RNA.
Atherosclerosis is a condition where arteries become narrowed due to plaque buildup, consisting of fat, cholesterol, and other substances. This narrowing can restrict blood flow, and if plaque breaks open, it can cause blood clots, leading to heart attacks or strokes. Factors like high blood pressure and smoking heighten the risk.
Linking SARS-CoV-2 With Atherosclerosis
Macrophages also help remove cholesterol from blood vessels. When macrophages become laden with cholesterol, they are known as foam cells. Accumulation of foam cells within arteries forms plaques that are a hallmark of atherosclerosis. The team confirmed that SARS-CoV-2 could infect human macrophages and foam cells in a petri dish. The foam cells were much more susceptible to infection than the macrophages. This could explain why people with atherosclerosis are more vulnerable to COVID-19.
In both cell types, infection depended on a protein on the surface of the cells called neuropilin. Turning off the gene for neuropilin in these cells reduced infection. So did blocking the virus from binding to neuropilin.
Infection triggered several inflammatory pathways in macrophages and foam cells. The cells also released molecules that are known to contribute to heart attacks and strokes. In arterial plaques that had been surgically removed from patients, the researchers saw an inflammatory response to SARS-CoV-2 infection like that seen in the cultured cells.
Implications and Future Research
The findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may amplify the risk of heart attacks and stroke by infecting artery wall tissue, including associated macrophages. This provokes inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques, which could lead to heart attack or stroke.
"These results shed light onto a possible connection between preexisting heart issues and Long COV
\ID symptoms," Giannarelli says. "It appears that the immune cells most involved in atherosclerosis may serve as a reservoir for the virus, giving it the opportunity to persist in the body over time."
"Since the early days of the pandemic, we have known that people who had COVID-19 have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease or stroke up to one year after infection," says Dr. Michelle Olive of NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. "We believe we have uncovered one of the reasons why."
Going forward, the authors plan to further investigate the potential link between infection of the arteries and Long COVID. They also aim to see if their results also hold true for newer SARS-CoV-2 variants.
For more on this research, see COVID-19 Infects Coronary Arteries and Increases Plaque Inflammation.
News
Researchers Solve the Mystery Behind a Billion-Dollar Dental Implant Disease
Researchers have uncovered why a common and costly dental implant infection often resists antibiotics. Dental implants have helped tens of millions of people regain a full set of stable, functional teeth, something traditional dentures [...]
Nanoparticles inspired by lung fluid improve therapies targeting respiratory system
The CIC biomaGUNE Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials has developed pulmonary surfactant nanoparticles (the blend of lipids and proteins that line the alveoli and enables breathing), which are encapsulated [...]
Scientists Finally Uncover How a “Forever Chemical” Causes Birth Defects
PFDA, a PFAS “forever chemical,” can cause craniofacial birth defects by disrupting retinoic acid regulation during fetal development, revealing the first clear molecular mechanism behind the link. Researchers have long linked perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), [...]
Scientists Have Discovered These Deadly Parasites Are Secretly Swapping DNA
Leishmania parasites appear to evolve through widespread genetic exchange, reshaping assumptions about how they adapt and spread. A parasite long thought to spread mostly by cloning itself may be far more genetically dynamic than [...]
Stanford’s Revolutionary New Microscope Reveals Living Cells in Stunning Detail
Stanford researchers have developed a microscope that can show how nanostructures interact inside living cells at the highest resolution achieved so far. The view into living cells just got better. Stanford researchers have merged [...]
What Bundibugyo Ebola vaccines and treatments are under development
By Mariam Sunny and Jennifer Rigby May 29 (Reuters) – Global health authorities are racing to identify medical options to help contain an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, linked to the [...]
Why More People in Their 30s Are Suddenly Getting Colon Cancer
A major Swiss study found that colorectal cancer is becoming increasingly common in adults under 50, even as rates decline in older age groups. Researchers in Switzerland have identified a concerning trend: while colorectal [...]
Researchers Compare MS Models to Human Tissue in Search for Better Therapies
Researchers identified key differences between two widely used multiple sclerosis models, showing how each can better study myelin damage, immune responses, and repair. The findings may improve efforts to develop treatments that restore lost [...]
Scientists Discover Genetic “Off Switch” That Supercharges CAR T Cells Against Cancer
A new study reveals a possible way to make CAR T-cell therapy more durable and effective by targeting a single gene-regulating protein. CAR T-cell therapy is widely seen as a breakthrough in personalized cancer [...]
New Vitamin B12-Based Therapy Could Change How Brain Cancer Is Treated
Researchers have identified a vitamin B12–based compound that appears capable of crossing the blood–brain barrier and selectively accumulating in glioblastoma tissue. For decades, one of the biggest problems in brain cancer treatment has had [...]
Simple Fiber Supplement Cuts Knee Arthritis Pain in Just 6 Weeks, Study Finds
A daily inulin supplement may help reduce knee osteoarthritis pain while revealing a possible link between gut health, muscle function, and pain sensitivity. For millions of people living with knee osteoarthritis, managing chronic pain [...]
This Common Vitamin May Help Stop Prediabetes From Turning Into Diabetes
Vitamin D may help prevent type 2 diabetes in people with specific genetic variations, offering a possible path toward personalized diabetes prevention. More than 40% of U.S. adults have prediabetes, a condition in which [...]
Ebola, hantavirus: Is the world prepared for the next pandemic?
Funding cuts to health research and a growing antivaccine movement are making it harder than ever to respond to viruses. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that an Ebola outbreak in Uganda and [...]
May 2026 Healthcare News and Trends: Market Signals That Matter
Artificial intelligence is dominating headlines, telehealth has settled into a new normal, and digital health continues to promise transformation. However, much of what is being discussed in healthcare today reflects potential rather than reality. [...]
Scientists Rewire Donor Stem Cells To Outsmart Aggressive Blood Cancers
Researchers have tested a gene-edited stem cell transplant designed to shield healthy blood-forming cells from powerful cancer-targeting immunotherapies. For patients with highly aggressive blood cancers, stem cell transplantation can offer a rare chance at [...]
Recent Digital Health Trends, Insights and News – May 2026
Last month marked continued progress as digital health moves into its next phase — from AI expanding into drug discovery and core infrastructure to new federal pathways accelerating device access and home-based care. Together, [...]
