History of COVID-19 infection is associated with disrupted cardiovascular stress response habituation in physically active people, Mahon, Hughes,,2025

Journal: International Journal of of Psychophysiology

Abstract

Objective

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by multiple effects on cardiovascular and autonomic functioning. As moment-to-moment cardiovascular function is highly susceptible to mental stress, this has spurred concerns regarding the potential long-term consequences of COVID-19 on sufferers' resilience to psychological stress and stress-related cardiovascular complications. However, the long-term after-effects of COVID-19 on cardiovascular stress reactivity profiles remain relatively unexplored. To address this gap, we investigated dynamic changes in cardiovascular function during and after successive stress exposures as a function of participants' COVID-19 histories.

Method

Our sample comprised 60 adult members of running clubs (mean age ± SD = 44.85 ± 9.64 yrs; 50 % male; 50 % female), who were classified into one of three groups based on self-reported history of COVID-19 (never had COVID-19; had COVID-19 once; had COVID-19 multiple times). Participants underwent a laboratory-based stress-induction protocol, during which a mental arithmetic challenge was presented twice. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured before and during both stress exposures, which facilitated an assessment of habituation of cardiovascular stress responses.

Results

History of COVID-19 was associated with disrupted cardiovascular stress response habituation. Specifically, persons classified as having never been infected with COVID-19 exhibited lower DBP responses to the second stress exposure compared to the first, indicative of ordinary habituation as observed in previous research. Furthermore, history of COVID-19 was associated with significantly elevated average HR throughout the procedure.

Conclusions
Response habituation is an ordinary mechanism that protects an organism from the rigors of recurring daily stress. If COVID-19 disrupts habituation of cardiovascular system responses, then individuals who have experienced COVID-19 in the past may be left with lingering effects that increase their susceptibility to future stress-related cardiovascular ill-health. Given the substantial number of people worldwide who have been affected by COVID-19, this potential long-lasting impact merits comprehensive investigation.



https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167876025000790?via=ihub