tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol
. 2022 Dec 2.
doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00335.2022. Online ahead of print.
Long-term cardiovascular health status and physical functioning of non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared to non-COVID-19 controls
Koen M van der Sluijs[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Esmée A Bakker[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tim J Schuijt[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jayaraj Joseph[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Maryam Kavousi[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Geert-Jan Geersing[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Frans H Rutten[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Yvonne A W Hartman[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Dick H J Thijssen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Thijs M H Eijsvogels[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is reported to have long-term effects on cardiovascular health and physical functioning, even in the non-hospitalized population. The physiological mechanisms underlying these long-term consequences are however less well-described. We compared cardiovascular risk factors, arterial stiffness and physical functioning in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients, at a median of six months post-infection, versus age- and sex-matched controls. Cardiovascular risk was assessed using blood pressure and biomarker concentrations (amino-terminal pro-B-type-natriuretic-peptide, high-sensitive cardiac troponin I, C-reactive protein) and arterial stiffness was assessed using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. Physical functioning was evaluated using accelerometry, handgrip strength, gait speed and questionnaires on fatigue, perceived general health status and health-related quality of life (hrQoL). We included 101 former COVID-19 patients (age 59 (interquartile range: [55-65]) years, 58% male) and 101 controls. At 175 [126-235] days post-infection, 32% of the COVID-19 group reported residual symptoms, notably fatigue, and 7% required post-COVID-19 care. We found no differences in blood pressure, biomarker concentrations or arterial stiffness between both groups. Former COVID-19 patients showed a higher handgrip strength (43 [33-52] versus 38 [30-48] kg, p=0.004), less sleeping time (8.8 [7.7-9.4] versus 9.8 [8.9-10.3] hours/day, p<0.001) and reported fatigue more often than controls. Accelerometry-based habitual physical activity levels, gait speed, perception of general health status and hrQoL were not different between groups. In conclusion, one in three non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients reports residual symptoms at a median of six months post-infection, but we were unable to relate these symptoms to increases in cardiovascular risk factors, arterial stiffness or physical dysfunction.
Keywords: COVID-19; cardiovascular health; long-term effects; non-hospitalized; physical functioning.
. 2022 Dec 2.
doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00335.2022. Online ahead of print.
Long-term cardiovascular health status and physical functioning of non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared to non-COVID-19 controls
Koen M van der Sluijs[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Esmée A Bakker[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Tim J Schuijt[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jayaraj Joseph[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Maryam Kavousi[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Geert-Jan Geersing[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Frans H Rutten[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Yvonne A W Hartman[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Dick H J Thijssen[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Thijs M H Eijsvogels[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 36459448
- DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00335.2022
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is reported to have long-term effects on cardiovascular health and physical functioning, even in the non-hospitalized population. The physiological mechanisms underlying these long-term consequences are however less well-described. We compared cardiovascular risk factors, arterial stiffness and physical functioning in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients, at a median of six months post-infection, versus age- and sex-matched controls. Cardiovascular risk was assessed using blood pressure and biomarker concentrations (amino-terminal pro-B-type-natriuretic-peptide, high-sensitive cardiac troponin I, C-reactive protein) and arterial stiffness was assessed using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. Physical functioning was evaluated using accelerometry, handgrip strength, gait speed and questionnaires on fatigue, perceived general health status and health-related quality of life (hrQoL). We included 101 former COVID-19 patients (age 59 (interquartile range: [55-65]) years, 58% male) and 101 controls. At 175 [126-235] days post-infection, 32% of the COVID-19 group reported residual symptoms, notably fatigue, and 7% required post-COVID-19 care. We found no differences in blood pressure, biomarker concentrations or arterial stiffness between both groups. Former COVID-19 patients showed a higher handgrip strength (43 [33-52] versus 38 [30-48] kg, p=0.004), less sleeping time (8.8 [7.7-9.4] versus 9.8 [8.9-10.3] hours/day, p<0.001) and reported fatigue more often than controls. Accelerometry-based habitual physical activity levels, gait speed, perception of general health status and hrQoL were not different between groups. In conclusion, one in three non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients reports residual symptoms at a median of six months post-infection, but we were unable to relate these symptoms to increases in cardiovascular risk factors, arterial stiffness or physical dysfunction.
Keywords: COVID-19; cardiovascular health; long-term effects; non-hospitalized; physical functioning.