Key result
Admission HRV shows no association with post-COVID pulmonary impairment or persistent long-term symptoms.
Why the study?
Post-COVID-19 condition is hypothesized to result from autonomic dysfunction with decreased vagal nerve activity, which can be indexed by low heart rate variability.
Does heart rate variability upon admission predict pulmonary function impairment and persistent symptoms in patients hospitalized for COVID-19?
Cohort (n=171)
No
Does heart rate variability upon admission predict pulmonary function impairment and persistent symptoms in patients hospitalized for COVID-19?
A single 10-second ECG measurement of HRV upon admission does not reliably predict long-term pulmonary or symptomatic sequelae of COVID-19.
Admission HRV does not predict post-COVID lung impairment or symptoms; leaves open alternative prognostic markers.
The persistence of symptoms beyond three months after COVID-19 infection, often referred to as post-COVID-19 condition (PCC), is commonly experienced. It is hypothesized that PCC results from autonomic dysfunction with decreased vagal nerve activity, which can be indexed by low heart rate variability (HRV). The aim of this study was to assess the association of HRV upon admission with pulmonary function impairment and the number of reported symptoms beyond three months after initial hospitalization for COVID-19 between February and December 2020. Follow-up took place three to five months after discharge and included pulmonary function tests and the assessment of persistent symptoms. HRV analysis was performed on one 10 s electrocardiogram obtained upon admission. Analyses were performed using multivariable and multinomial logistic regression models. Among 171 patients who received follow-up, and with an electrocardiogram at admission, decreased diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) (41%) was most frequently found. After a median of 119 days (IQR 101-141), 81% of the participants reported at least one symptom. HRV was not associated with pulmonary function impairment or persistent symptoms three to five months after hospitalization for COVID-19.
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Adang et al. (2023) conducted a cohort in COVID-19 (n=171). Heart rate variability (HRV) upon admission vs. High vs Low HRV (cut-off 8 ms for SDNN/RMSSD) was evaluated on Pulmonary function impairment and number of reported symptoms beyond three months after initial hospitalization. Heart rate variability measured upon admission was not associated with pulmonary function impairment or persistent symptoms three to five months after hospitalization for COVID-19.
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