Persistent endothelial dysfunction in post-COVID-19 syndrome and its associations with symptom severity and chronic inflammation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) is a lingering disease with ongoing symptoms such as fatigue and cognitive impairment resulting in a high impact on the daily life of patients. Understanding the pathophysiology of PCS is a public health priority, as it still poses a diagnostic and treatment challenge for physicians.

Methods

In this prospective observational cohort study, we analyzed the retinal microcirculation using Retinal Vessel Analysis (RVA) in a cohort of patients with PCS and compared it to an age- and gender-matched healthy cohort (n = 41, matched out of n = 204).

Measurements and main results

PCS patients exhibit persistent endothelial dysfunction (ED), as indicated by significantly lower venular flicker-induced dilation (vFID; 3.42% ± 1.77% vs. 4.64% 

SUBMITTER: Kuchler T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10542303 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature