This study was the first to investigate the vascular implications of contracting SARS-CoV-2 among young, otherwise healthy adults. Using a cross-sectional design, this study assessed vascular function 3–4 wk after young adults tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The main findings from this study were a strikingly lower vascular function and a higher arterial stiffness compared with healthy controls. Together, these results suggest rampant vascular effects seen weeks after contracting SARS-CoV-2 in young adults.

 The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on autonomic and cardiovascular function in otherwise healthy individuals is unknown. We show for the first time that young adults recovering from SARS-CoV-2 have elevated resting sympathetic activity, but similar heart rate and blood pressure, compared with control subjects. Survivors of SARS-CoV-2 also exhibit suppressed sympathetic nerve activity and pain perception during a cold pressor test compared with healthy controls.  Further, these individuals display higher sympathetic nerve activity throughout an orthostatic challenge, as well as an exaggerated heart rate response to orthostasis. If similar autonomic dysregulation, like that found here in young individuals, is present in older adults following SARS-CoV-2 infection, there may be substantial adverse implications for cardiovascular health.

Contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been observed to cause decrements in vascular function of young adults. However, less is known about the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on arterial stiffness and structure, which might have additional implications for cardiovascular health. The purpose of this study was to assess the carotid artery stiffness and structure using ultrasound and the aortic augmentation index (AIx) using applanation tonometry in young adults after they tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. We hypothesized that carotid artery stiffness, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and aortic AIx would be elevated in young adults with SARS-CoV-2 compared with healthy young adults. We evaluated 15 young adults (six male and nine female; 20 ± 1 years of age; body mass index, 24 ± 3 kg m −2 ) 3-4 weeks after a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result compared with young healthy adults (five male and 10 female; 23 ± 1 years of age; body mass index, 22 ± 2 kg m −2 ) who were evaluated before the coronavirus 2019 pandemic. Carotid stiffness, Young's modulus and cIMT were assessed using ultrasound, whereas aortic AIx and aortic AIx standardized to 75 beats min −1 (AIx@HR75) were assessed from carotid pulse wave analysis using SphygmoCor. Group differences were observed for carotid stiffness (control, 5 ± 1 m s −1 ; SARS-CoV-2, 6 ± 1 m s −1 ), Young's modulus (control, 396 ± 120 kPa; SARS-CoV-2, 576 ± 224 kPa), aortic AIx (control, 3 ± 13%; SARS-CoV-2, 13 ± 9%) and aortic AIx@HR75 (control, −3 ± 16%; SARS-CoV-2, 10 ± 7%; P < 0.05). However, cIMT was similar between groups (control, 0.42 ± 0.06 mm; SARS-CoV-2, 0.44 ± 0.08 mm; P > 0.05). This cross-sectional analysis revealed higher carotid artery stiffness and aortic stiffness among young adults with SARS-CoV-2.These results provide further evidence of cardiovascular impairments among young adults recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infection, which should be considered for cardiovascular complications associated with SARS-CoV-2.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine whether a supramaximal constant load verification test at 105% of the highest work rate would yield a higher V̇O2max when compared with an incremental test in 10 – 12 year old nonobese and obese children. Methods Nine non-obese (BMI percentile: 57.5 ± 23.2) and nine obese (BMI percentile: 97.9 ± 1.4) children completed a two-test protocol that included an incremental test followed 15 minutes later by a supramaximal constant-load verification test. Results The V̇O2max achieved in verification testing (Nonobese: 1.71 ± 0.31 and Obese: 1.94 ± 0.47 L/min) was significantly higher than that achieved during the incremental test (Nonobese: 1.57 ± 0.27 and Obese: 1.84 ± 0.48 L/min; P < 0.001). There was no significant interaction (group (i.e., nonobese versus obese) × test (i.e., incremental versus verification)), suggesting that there was no effect of obesity on the difference between verification and incremental V̇O2max (P = 0.747). Conclusion A verification test yielded significantly higher values of V̇O2max when compared with the incremental test in obese children. Similar results were observed in nonobese children. Supramaximal constant-load verification is a time-efficient and well-tolerated method for identifying the highest V̇O2 in nonobese and obese children.