Medium- to long-term health condition of patients post-COVID-19, exercise intolerance and potential mechanisms: A narrative review and perspective

Background: Patients recovering from COVID-19 often present with impaired health and persisting symptoms such as exercise intolerance ⩾3 months post-infection. Uncertainty remains about long-term recovery. We aimed to review studies examining cardiac function, macro- or microvascular function, blood...

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Main Authors: Fabian Schwendinger, Denis Infanger, Debbie J Maurer, Thomas Radtke, Justin Carrard, Julia M Kröpfl, Aglaia Emmenegger, Henner Hanssen, Christoph Hauser, Udo Schwehr, Hans H Hirsch, Julijana Ivanisevic, Karoline Leuzinger, Aurélien E Martinez, Marc Maurer, Thomas Sigrist, Lukas Streese, Roland von Känel, Timo Hinrichs, Arno Schmidt-Trucksäss
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2024-11-01
Series:SAGE Open Medicine
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121241296701
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author Fabian Schwendinger
Denis Infanger
Debbie J Maurer
Thomas Radtke
Justin Carrard
Julia M Kröpfl
Aglaia Emmenegger
Henner Hanssen
Christoph Hauser
Udo Schwehr
Hans H Hirsch
Julijana Ivanisevic
Karoline Leuzinger
Aurélien E Martinez
Marc Maurer
Thomas Sigrist
Lukas Streese
Roland von Känel
Timo Hinrichs
Arno Schmidt-Trucksäss
author_facet Fabian Schwendinger
Denis Infanger
Debbie J Maurer
Thomas Radtke
Justin Carrard
Julia M Kröpfl
Aglaia Emmenegger
Henner Hanssen
Christoph Hauser
Udo Schwehr
Hans H Hirsch
Julijana Ivanisevic
Karoline Leuzinger
Aurélien E Martinez
Marc Maurer
Thomas Sigrist
Lukas Streese
Roland von Känel
Timo Hinrichs
Arno Schmidt-Trucksäss
author_sort Fabian Schwendinger
collection DOAJ
description Background: Patients recovering from COVID-19 often present with impaired health and persisting symptoms such as exercise intolerance ⩾3 months post-infection. Uncertainty remains about long-term recovery. We aimed to review studies examining cardiac function, macro- or microvascular function, blood biomarkers and physical activity in adult patients post-COVID-19 and highlight current knowledge gaps. Results: Using echocardiography, persistent cardiac involvement of the left ventricle was observed in a fraction of patients both hospitalized and non-hospitalized. Ventricular dysfunction was often subclinical but may partly contribute to exercise intolerance post-COVID-19. Endothelial dysfunction was seen on micro- and macrovascular levels using retinal vessel imaging methods and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, respectively. Studies reporting blood biomarkers of disease-specific impairment and endothelial dysfunction yielded upregulated inflammation, hypercoagulability, organ and endothelial damage up to several months after infection. Omics’ scale lipid profiling studies provide preliminary evidence of alterations in several lipid subspecies, mostly during acute COVID-19, which might contribute to subsequent endothelial and cardiometabolic dysfunction. Yet, more robust evidence is warranted. Physical activity may be reduced up to 6 months post-COVID-19. However, studies measuring physical activity more precisely using accelerometry are sparse. Overall, there is growing evidence for long-term multiple organ dysfunction. Conclusion: Research combining all the above methods in the search for underlying mechanisms of post-COVID-19 symptoms is mostly missing. Moreover, studies with longer follow-ups (i.e. ⩾18 months) and well-matched control groups are lacking. The findings may aid the development of rehabilitation regimes for post-COVID-19 syndrome. Condensed abstract This review examined cardiac function, vascular function, blood biomarkers and physical activity in patients post-COVID-19. Evidence suggests long-term dysfunction in multiple organ systems and exercise intolerance due to various factors, including endothelial damage and, in some patients, subclinical ventricular dysfunction. We highlight knowledge gaps for further research to aid post-COVID-19 rehabilitation.
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spelling doaj-art-ebe0e5c5dedc4d7ea5a6b6b2ca9ce9d82025-02-03T12:03:20ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open Medicine2050-31212024-11-011210.1177/20503121241296701Medium- to long-term health condition of patients post-COVID-19, exercise intolerance and potential mechanisms: A narrative review and perspectiveFabian Schwendinger0Denis Infanger1Debbie J Maurer2Thomas Radtke3Justin Carrard4Julia M Kröpfl5Aglaia Emmenegger6Henner Hanssen7Christoph Hauser8Udo Schwehr9Hans H Hirsch10Julijana Ivanisevic11Karoline Leuzinger12Aurélien E Martinez13Marc Maurer14Thomas Sigrist15Lukas Streese16Roland von Känel17Timo Hinrichs18Arno Schmidt-Trucksäss19Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandFaculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandFaculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandEpidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zürich, SwitzerlandFaculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandFaculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandFaculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandFaculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandFaculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandDivision of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandTransplantation and Clinical Virology, Department Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandMetabolomics Platform, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Quartier UNIL-CHUV, Lausanne, SwitzerlandTransplantation and Clinical Virology, Department Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandDivision of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandDepartment of Pneumology, Cantonal Hospital Olten, Olten, SwitzerlandDepartment of Pulmonology, Clinic Barmelweid, Barmelweid, SwitzerlandFaculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandDepartment of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandFaculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandDepartment of Clinical Research, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, SwitzerlandBackground: Patients recovering from COVID-19 often present with impaired health and persisting symptoms such as exercise intolerance ⩾3 months post-infection. Uncertainty remains about long-term recovery. We aimed to review studies examining cardiac function, macro- or microvascular function, blood biomarkers and physical activity in adult patients post-COVID-19 and highlight current knowledge gaps. Results: Using echocardiography, persistent cardiac involvement of the left ventricle was observed in a fraction of patients both hospitalized and non-hospitalized. Ventricular dysfunction was often subclinical but may partly contribute to exercise intolerance post-COVID-19. Endothelial dysfunction was seen on micro- and macrovascular levels using retinal vessel imaging methods and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, respectively. Studies reporting blood biomarkers of disease-specific impairment and endothelial dysfunction yielded upregulated inflammation, hypercoagulability, organ and endothelial damage up to several months after infection. Omics’ scale lipid profiling studies provide preliminary evidence of alterations in several lipid subspecies, mostly during acute COVID-19, which might contribute to subsequent endothelial and cardiometabolic dysfunction. Yet, more robust evidence is warranted. Physical activity may be reduced up to 6 months post-COVID-19. However, studies measuring physical activity more precisely using accelerometry are sparse. Overall, there is growing evidence for long-term multiple organ dysfunction. Conclusion: Research combining all the above methods in the search for underlying mechanisms of post-COVID-19 symptoms is mostly missing. Moreover, studies with longer follow-ups (i.e. ⩾18 months) and well-matched control groups are lacking. The findings may aid the development of rehabilitation regimes for post-COVID-19 syndrome. Condensed abstract This review examined cardiac function, vascular function, blood biomarkers and physical activity in patients post-COVID-19. Evidence suggests long-term dysfunction in multiple organ systems and exercise intolerance due to various factors, including endothelial damage and, in some patients, subclinical ventricular dysfunction. We highlight knowledge gaps for further research to aid post-COVID-19 rehabilitation.https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121241296701
spellingShingle Fabian Schwendinger
Denis Infanger
Debbie J Maurer
Thomas Radtke
Justin Carrard
Julia M Kröpfl
Aglaia Emmenegger
Henner Hanssen
Christoph Hauser
Udo Schwehr
Hans H Hirsch
Julijana Ivanisevic
Karoline Leuzinger
Aurélien E Martinez
Marc Maurer
Thomas Sigrist
Lukas Streese
Roland von Känel
Timo Hinrichs
Arno Schmidt-Trucksäss
Medium- to long-term health condition of patients post-COVID-19, exercise intolerance and potential mechanisms: A narrative review and perspective
SAGE Open Medicine
title Medium- to long-term health condition of patients post-COVID-19, exercise intolerance and potential mechanisms: A narrative review and perspective
title_full Medium- to long-term health condition of patients post-COVID-19, exercise intolerance and potential mechanisms: A narrative review and perspective
title_fullStr Medium- to long-term health condition of patients post-COVID-19, exercise intolerance and potential mechanisms: A narrative review and perspective
title_full_unstemmed Medium- to long-term health condition of patients post-COVID-19, exercise intolerance and potential mechanisms: A narrative review and perspective
title_short Medium- to long-term health condition of patients post-COVID-19, exercise intolerance and potential mechanisms: A narrative review and perspective
title_sort medium to long term health condition of patients post covid 19 exercise intolerance and potential mechanisms a narrative review and perspective
url https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121241296701
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