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. 2022 Jul 13:55:e12118.
doi: 10.1590/1414-431X2022e12118. eCollection 2022.

Mild-to-moderate COVID-19 impact on the cardiorespiratory fitness in young and middle-aged populations

G D Back  1 , M R Oliveira  1 , P F Camargo  1 , C L Goulart  1 , C R Oliveira  1 , K W Wende  1 , J C Bonjorno Junior  1 , R F Arbex  1 , F R Caruso  1 , R Arena  2   3 , A Borghi-Silva  1   3
Affiliations

Mild-to-moderate COVID-19 impact on the cardiorespiratory fitness in young and middle-aged populations

G D Back et al. Braz J Med Biol Res. .

Abstract

The goal of the present study was to compare pulmonary function test (PFT) and cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) performance in COVID-19 survivors with a control group (CG). This was a cross-sectional study. Patients diagnosed with COVID-19, without severe signs and symptoms, were evaluated one month after the infection. Healthy volunteers matched for sex and age constituted the control group. All volunteers underwent the following assessments: i) clinical evaluation, ii) PTF; and iii) CPET on a cycle ergometer. Metabolic variables were measured by the CareFusion Oxycon Mobile device. In addition, heart rate responses, peak systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and perceived exertion were recorded. Twenty-nine patients with COVID-19 and 18 healthy control subjects were evaluated. Surviving patients of COVID-19 had a mean age of 40 years and had higher body mass index and persistent symptoms compared to the CG (P<0.05), but patients with COVID-19 had more comorbidities, number of medications, and greater impairment of lung function (P<0.05). Regarding CPET, patients surviving COVID-19 had reduced peak workload, oxygen uptake (V̇O2), carbon dioxide output (V̇CO2), circulatory power (CP), and end-tidal pressure for carbon dioxide (PETCO2) (P<0.05). Additionally, survivors had depressed chronotropic and ventilatory responses, low peak oxygen saturation, and greater muscle fatigue (P<0.05) compared to CG. Despite not showing signs and symptoms of severe disease during infection, adult survivors had losses of lung function and cardiorespiratory capacity one month after recovery from COVID-19. In addition, cardiovascular, ventilatory, and lower limb fatigue responses were the main exercise limitations.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Evaluation flow chart.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Study flow chart.
Figure 3
Figure 3. DLCO response profiles and their relationship with selected variables at cardiopulmonary exercise testing peak. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to investigate correlations between variables. DLCO: carbon monoxide diffusing capacity; V̇O2: oxygen uptake; P ETCO2 peak: end-tidal pressure for carbon dioxide; V̇ E: ventilation; V̇ E/V̇CO2 slope: linear relation between minute ventilation and carbon dioxide output; V̇O2/HR: peak O2 pulse.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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