Key result
Long COVID was associated with significantly reduced heart rate variability at rest and during deep breathing maneuvers compared to healthy controls, indicating impaired cardiac autonomic control.
Why the study?
Long COVID may be associated with cardiac and autonomic dysfunction, but heart rate variability at rest and during deep-breathing maneuvers needed evaluation.
Does Long COVID impair heart rate variability at rest and during deep breathing compared to healthy controls?
Case-Control (n=41)
No
Does Long COVID impair heart rate variability at rest and during deep breathing compared to healthy controls?
Absolute Event Rate: 722.8% vs 964.6%
p-value: p=<0.001
Long COVID is associated with reduced heart rate variability at rest and during deep breathing, suggesting persistent cardiac autonomic dysfunction.
Long COVID was associated with reduced HRV; leaves open whether autonomic assessment aids diagnosis or risk stratification.
While the majority of individuals with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) recover completely, a significant percentage experience persistent symptom, which has been characterized as Long COVID and may be associated with cardiac and autonomic dysfunction. We evaluated heart rate variability (HRV) at rest and during deep-breathing (M-RSA) in patients with Long COVID. Case-control design involved 21 patients with Long COVID and 20 controls; the HRV was evaluated (POLAR system) at rest in the supine position and during M-RSA and expressed in time domain and non-linear analysis. In the supine position we found a reduction HRV measures in Long COVID' patients compared to controls for: Mean_iRR (p < 0.001), STD_iRR (p < 0.001); STD_HR (p < 0.001); SD1 (p < 0.001); SD2 (p < 0.001); alpha2 (p < 0.001). In the M-RSA we found reduction Mean_iRR (p < 0.001), STD_iRR (p < 0.001), STD_HR (p < 0.001), rMSSD (p < 0.001), RR_tri-index (p < 0.001) in Long COVID' patients except for highest Mean_HR p < 0.001. In conclusion, Long COVID reduced HRV at rest and during deep breathing. These findings may imply impairment of cardiac autonomic control when symptoms of COVID-19 persist following initial recovery.
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Silva et al. (2023) conducted a case-control in Long COVID (n=41). Long COVID vs. Healthy controls without COVID-19 was evaluated on Mean RR interval (Mean iRR) at rest in the supine position (p=<0.001). Long COVID was associated with significantly reduced heart rate variability at rest and during deep breathing maneuvers compared to healthy controls, indicating impaired cardiac autonomic control.
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