Background: The long-term clinical and physiological consequences of COVID-19 infection remain unclear. While fatigue has emerged as a common symptom following infection, little is known about its links with autonomic dysfunction. SARS-CoV-2 is known to infect endothelial cells in acute infection, resulting in autonomic dysfunction. Here we set out to test the hypothesis that this results in persistent autonomic dysfunction and is associated with post-COVID fatigue in convalescent patients.
Methods: We recruited 20 fatigued and 20 non-fatigued post-COVID patients (median age 44.5 years, 36/40 (90%) female, median time to follow up 166.5 days). Fatigue was assessed using the Chalder Fatigue Scale. These underwent the Ewing's autonomic function test battery, including deep breathing, active standing, Valsalva manoeuvre and cold-pressor testing, with continuous electrocardiogram and blood pressure monitoring, as well as near-infrared spectroscopy-based cerebral oxygenation. 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was also conducted, and patients completed the generalised anxiety disorder-7 questionnaire. We assessed between-group differences in autonomic function test results and used unadjusted and adjusted linear regression to investigate the relationship between fatigue, anxiety, and autonomic test results.
Results: We found no pathological differences between fatigued and non-fatigued patients on autonomic testing or on 24-hour blood pressure monitoring. Symptoms of orthostatic intolerance were reported by 70% of the fatigued cohort at the time of active standing, with no associated physiological abnormality detected. Fatigue was strongly associated with increased anxiety (p <0.001), with no patients having a pre-existing diagnosis of anxiety.
Conclusions: These results demonstrate the significant burden of fatigue, symptoms of autonomic dysfunction and anxiety in the aftermath of COVID-19 infection, but reassuringly do not demonstrate pathological findings on autonomic testing.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7906457 | PMC |
| http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0247280 | PLOS |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Holter electrocardiography findings in Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy.
Neuromuscul Disord
January 2025
Department of Child Neurology, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan; Translational Medical Center, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.
Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD) is the second most common childhood-onset muscular dystrophy in Japan. However, only a few comprehensive studies have investigated cardiac complications associated with FCMD, with none on arrhythmias. The present study evaluated 78 Holter electrocardiograms from 15 patients with FCMD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDeterminants of Sexual Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease Patients: A Secondary Analysis of a Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.
J Clin Med
December 2024
IRCCS Centro Neurolesi Bonino Pulejo, 98124 Messina, Italy.
: Sexual dysfunction (SD) in Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients is a common and distressing concern, although it remains an underdiagnosed and undertreated condition. Indeed, the prevalence of SD in PD ranges from 42.6% to 79% in men and from 36% to 87.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh prevalence of atrial conduction abnormalities in Lewy body disease - a marker of cardiac complications?
Geroscience
January 2025
Division of Pathology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Increasing evidence suggests that Lewy body disease (LBD) is associated with clinically important cardiac complications, including sick sinus syndrome, atrial fibrillation and sudden cardiac death. The high prevalence of sick sinus syndrome and atrial fibrillation in LBD suggests the presence of disease-related atrial conduction disorders. To explore whether LBD is associated with atrial conduction disorders, electrocardiographic (ECG) P wave parameters were analyzed in a cohort of LBD patients (n = 74), using age-matched Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients (n = 25) as controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMinimum number of readings necessary for determining long-term visit-to-visit blood pressure variability to predict cardiovascular outcomes in people with diabetes.
J Hypertens
December 2024
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Background: People with diabetes often have increased blood pressure (BP) variability because of autonomic dysfunction and arterial stiffness, making it a critical factor in predicting clinical outcomes. We investigated the reproducibility of long-term visit-to-visit BP variability (VVV) and the minimum number of BP readings to reliably determine VVV in people with diabetes.
Methods: This multicenter retrospective study used data from electronic health records of the Korea University Medical Center database.
Evidence for targeting autonomic dysfunction in systemic sclerosis: A scoping review.
J Scleroderma Relat Disord
January 2025
Division of Rheumatology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Autonomic dysfunction is a common and early complication among patients with systemic sclerosis, suggesting that it may play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease and be a potential target for therapeutic interventions. Although the true prevalence of autonomic dysfunction among patients with systemic sclerosis is still unclear, it is estimated that as many as 80% of patients may be affected. Autonomic dysfunction may lead to widespread multi-organ dysfunction through its effects on the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, sweat and salivary glands, and pupils.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!