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. 2023 Dec 20;13(1):22695.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-50276-0.

Impact of long COVID on the heart rate variability at rest and during deep breathing maneuver

Andréa Lúcia Gonçalves da Silva  1   2 , Luana Dos Passos Vieira  3 , Luiza Scheffer Dias  3 , Cecília Vieira Prestes  3 , Guilherme Dionir Back  4 , Cassia da Luz Goulart  4 , Ross Arena  5 , Audrey Borghi-Silva  4 , Renata Trimer  6
Affiliations

Impact of long COVID on the heart rate variability at rest and during deep breathing maneuver

Andréa Lúcia Gonçalves da Silva et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

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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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of study population selection. Seventy-one patients with Long COVID from LARECARE were recruited. Thirty patients did not fulfill the inclusion criteria: complex cardiac arrhythmias (n = 15); use of Beta blocker (n = 13); and Cancer diagnosis (n = 2). Included in the study 21 patients with Long COVID and 20 controls subjects.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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