Women with long Covid-19 experience heart rate irregularities in response to physical exertion, and this has the potential to constrain not only exercise tolerance but free-living physical activity.
In perspective of the greater prevalence of age-related physical disability among women, compared to men, these findings highlight a need for targeted rehabilitation programmes to manage the consequences of persistent heart and lung problems in women with lingering Covid-19 related symptoms, according to a research published in The Physiological Society’s journal Experimental Physiology.
Drs Stephen J Carter and Marissa N Baranauskas, physiologists from Indiana University Bloomington, USA, report significant differences in the heart rate responses to and recovery from a 6-minute walk test in women several months following mild-to-moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to non-infected controls.
Specifically, heart rate was reduced during physical exertion, and recovery (i.e., the slowing of heart rate back to the baseline) was delayed after the exertion among SARS-CoV-2 participants despite a similar distance traveled and ratings-of-perceived exertion to controls.
Women reporting shortness of breath, or joint / muscle aches, and at the time of testing achieved a lower proportion of predicted 6-minute walk test distance compared to controls as well as SARS-CoV-2 participants not actively experiencing such symptoms.
Drs. Carter and Baranauskas studied women living in the US state of Indiana, with a positive diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2 at least 1 month after acute illness.
A control group was then recruited consisting of women who had never tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and were matched to participants in the SARS-CoV-2 group based on age and body mass index.
On the same day, participants completed a series of standard lung function tests and a 6-minute walk test at the Indiana University – Bloomington School of Public Health in accordance with American Thoracic Society / European Respiratory Society guidelines.
Participants were instructed to walk as far as possible during the test, but were not provided with any other encouragement.
Heart rate recovery was then calculated as the difference in heart rate immediately post-exercise for each minute of recovery. The distance travelled during the 6-minute period was normalised to predicted values (for age, height, sex, weight, and exercising heart rate).
Commenting on the study, Dr. Stephen J. Carter said, “Given the greater prevalence of age-related physical disability in women, as compared to men, our findings show that a targeted rehab programme might be especially useful to women and other groups affected by persistent COVID-19 symptoms – thus promoting recovery and minimising susceptibility for deteriorating physical condition.”