1. Sign our petition calling on Cochrane to withdraw their review of Exercise Therapy for 'CFS'.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Guest, the 'News in Brief' for the week beginning 29th April 2024 is here.
    Dismiss Notice
  3. Welcome! Read the Core Purpose and Values of our forum.
    Dismiss Notice

Associations between symptoms and functional capacity in patients after COVID-19 infection and community controls, 2023, Huynh et al.

Discussion in 'Long Covid research' started by SNT Gatchaman, Jul 26, 2023.

Tags:
  1. SNT Gatchaman

    SNT Gatchaman Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    4,516
    Location:
    Aotearoa New Zealand
    Associations between symptoms and functional capacity in patients after COVID-19 infection and community controls
    Quan Huynh; Noah Wexler; Joel Smith; Leah Wright; Felicia Ho; Richard Allwood; Yusuke Sata; Stefano Manca; Erin Howden; Thomas H. Marwick

    Background: Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC or ‘long COVID’) reflect ongoing symptoms, but these are non-specific and common in the wider community. Few reports of PASC have been compared with a control group.

    Aims: To compare symptoms and objective impairment of functional capacity in patients with previous COVID-19 infection with uninfected community controls. Methods: In this community-based, cross-sectional study of functional capacity, 562 patients from Western Melbourne who had recovered from COVID-19 infections in 2021 and 2022 were compared with controls from the same community and tested for functional capacity pre-COVID-19. Functional impairment (<85% of the predicted response) was assessed using the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) and 6-min walk distance (6MWD) test. A subgroup underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing before and after exercise training.

    Results: Of 562 respondents (age 54 ± 12 years, 69% women), 389 were symptomatic. Functional impairment (<85% predicted metabolic equivalent of tasks) was docu- mented by DASI in 149 participants (27%), and abnormal 6MWD (<85% predicted) was observed in 14% of the symptomatic participants. Despite fewer risk factors and younger age, patients with COVID-19 had lower functional capacity by 6MWD (P < 0.001) and more depression (P < 0.001) than controls. In a pilot group of seven participants (age 58 ± 12 years, two women, VO2 18.9 ± 5.7 mL/kg/min), repeat testing after exercise training showed a 20% increase in peak workload.

    Conclusions: Although most participants (69%) had symptoms consistent with long COVID, significant subjective functional impairment was documented in 27% and objective functional impairment in 14%. An exercise training programme might be beneficial for appropriately selected patients.

    Link | PDF (Internal Medicine Journal)
     
    SNT Gatchaman, Jul 26, 2023
    #1
    RedFox, livinglighter and Hutan like this.
  2. SNT Gatchaman

    SNT Gatchaman Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    4,516
    Location:
    Aotearoa New Zealand
    Conclusion —

    Clinical Implications —

    No mention in the text of post-exertional malaise or symptom exacerbation.
     
    SNT Gatchaman, Jul 26, 2023
    #2
    RedFox, Lou B Lou, Trish and 4 others like this.
  3. Amw66

    Amw66 Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    6,369
    One to flag up to long COVID physio group and physios for ME.
     
    Amw66, Jul 26, 2023
    #3
    Lou B Lou, Starlight, livinglighter and 1 other person like this.
  4. Hutan

    Hutan Moderator Staff Member

    Messages:
    27,125
    Location:
    Aotearoa New Zealand
    They do repeat CPET tests (in a tiny sample, but still), and find the 20% decrease in workload capacity that is so often found in ME/CFS. And then they fall back onto 'let's exercise them out of this'. How much reinvention of the wheel has to happen before people realise it doesn't work.

    And, a 6 minute walk test? For mild LC ME/CFS, one session of 6 minutes of brisk walking is entirely possible. It's not going to tell them much.

    Most researchers are associated with the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute.
    Looks like they are currently recruiting for a study on PEM in ME/CFS.
    https://baker.edu.au/research/clinical-trials/parsing-pem-study

    Clearly they need to engage with patients a lot more.
     
    Hutan, Jul 26, 2023
    #4
    alktipping, Sean, Trish and 6 others like this.
  5. Art Vandelay

    Art Vandelay Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    588
    Location:
    Adelaide, Australia
    Some S4ME threads on Baker Institute studies:

    PERCEIVE study (GET for Long Covid): Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Australia

    PARsing PEM: does post-exertional autonomic recovery (PAR) impact post-exertional malaise?
     
    Art Vandelay, Jul 26, 2023
    #5
    alktipping, Amw66, Trish and 3 others like this.
  6. Hutan

    Hutan Moderator Staff Member

    Messages:
    27,125
    Location:
    Aotearoa New Zealand
    Thanks for the links Art.
     
    Hutan, Jul 26, 2023
    #6
    alktipping, Trish and Art Vandelay like this.

Share This Page