Cardiopulmonary exercise testing in long covid shows the presence of dysautonomia or chronotropic incompetence independent of subjective exercise intolerance and fatigue.

ABSTRACT:

Background

After COVID-19 infection, 10-20% of patients suffer from varying symptoms lasting more than 12 weeks (Long COVID, LC). Exercise intolerance and fatigue are common in LC. The aim was to measure the maximal exercise capacity of the LC patients with these symptoms and to analyze whether this capacity was related to heart rate (HR) responses at rest and during exercise and recovery, to find out possible sympathetic overactivity, dysautonomia or chronotropic incompetence.

Methods

Cardiopulmonary exercise test was conducted on 101 LC patients, who were admitted to exercise testing. The majority of them (86%) had been treated at home during their acute COVID-19 infection. Peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), maximal power during the last 4 min of exercise (Wlast4), HRs, and oth

SUBMITTER: Mustonen T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11308233 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature