Salivary cortisol in long COVID: a marker of broader stress system and circadian rhythm dysregulation.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Long COVID (LC) has been associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction, although findings from blood cortisol measurements remain inconsistent. We hypothesized that LC patients exhibit a disrupted diurnal cortisol rhythm and that salivary cortisol (SC) profiling may provide a more accurate assessment of HPA activity.

Methods

This prospective, single-center, case-control study was conducted at a Long COVID clinic in Rome between February 2023 and March 2024 and included 96 participants evaluated at least 28 days after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. LC was defined as one or more new or persistent symptoms and classified as severe when four or more of the following were present: fatigue, cognitive impairment, exercise intolerance, dyspnea,

SUBMITTER: Camici M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12816214 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature