tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Cardiopulm Rehabil Prev
. 2025 Mar 1;45(2):146-152.
doi: 10.1097/HCR.0000000000000928. Epub 2025 Feb 26. Impaired Endothelial Function in Individuals With Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19: Effects of Combined Exercise Training
Tae Gu Choi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jae Yeop Kim, Joon Youp Seong, Ho Jeong Min, Yong Joon Jung, Yun Wook Kim, Min Jeong Cho, Hyun Jeong Kim, Setor K Kunutsor, Kevin S Heffernan, Sae Young Jae
Affiliations
Purpose: We investigated the presence of impaired endothelial function in individuals with post-acute sequelae of coronavirus disease-2019 (PASC) compared to healthy individuals and explored the efficacy of combined exercise training in restoring or improving endothelial function in those with PASC.
Methods: Study I was a cross-sectional study which compared endothelial function between individuals with PASC (n = 29, mean age 22.9 ± 3.9 year) and healthy individuals (n = 42, mean age 21.7 ± 2.0 year). Study II, an intervention design, explored if combined exercise training (n = 14) could reverse the decline in endothelial function associated with PASC compared to controls (n = 14). The combined exercise program included aerobic, resistance, and inspiratory muscle training administered for 8 weeks. We measured endothelial function using flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery and assessed peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), dyspnea, and fatigue before and after the intervention.
Results: Individuals with PASC exhibited significantly lower endothelial function compared to healthy controls (4.95 ± 2.0% vs 8.00 ± 2.4%, P < .001). The exercise group showed a significant increase in endothelial function (4.73 ± 1.5% to 7.98 ± 2.4%) as opposed to the control group (5.31 ± 2.5% to 6.30 ± 2.5%) (interaction effect: P = .008), reaching levels similar to those in healthy individuals. Additionally, the exercise group demonstrated improvement in VO2peak (38.3 ± 6.4 ml/min/kg to 42.8 ± 7.3 ml/min/kg, P < .001) and a reduction in dyspnea and fatigue compared to the control group (P < .001).
Conclusions: Having PASC is associated with impaired endothelial function, but combined exercise training effectively restores it, making it a promising lifestyle intervention for vascular function in PASC.
. 2025 Mar 1;45(2):146-152.
doi: 10.1097/HCR.0000000000000928. Epub 2025 Feb 26. Impaired Endothelial Function in Individuals With Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19: Effects of Combined Exercise Training
Tae Gu Choi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jae Yeop Kim, Joon Youp Seong, Ho Jeong Min, Yong Joon Jung, Yun Wook Kim, Min Jeong Cho, Hyun Jeong Kim, Setor K Kunutsor, Kevin S Heffernan, Sae Young Jae
Affiliations
- PMID: 40014640
- DOI: 10.1097/HCR.0000000000000928
Purpose: We investigated the presence of impaired endothelial function in individuals with post-acute sequelae of coronavirus disease-2019 (PASC) compared to healthy individuals and explored the efficacy of combined exercise training in restoring or improving endothelial function in those with PASC.
Methods: Study I was a cross-sectional study which compared endothelial function between individuals with PASC (n = 29, mean age 22.9 ± 3.9 year) and healthy individuals (n = 42, mean age 21.7 ± 2.0 year). Study II, an intervention design, explored if combined exercise training (n = 14) could reverse the decline in endothelial function associated with PASC compared to controls (n = 14). The combined exercise program included aerobic, resistance, and inspiratory muscle training administered for 8 weeks. We measured endothelial function using flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery and assessed peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), dyspnea, and fatigue before and after the intervention.
Results: Individuals with PASC exhibited significantly lower endothelial function compared to healthy controls (4.95 ± 2.0% vs 8.00 ± 2.4%, P < .001). The exercise group showed a significant increase in endothelial function (4.73 ± 1.5% to 7.98 ± 2.4%) as opposed to the control group (5.31 ± 2.5% to 6.30 ± 2.5%) (interaction effect: P = .008), reaching levels similar to those in healthy individuals. Additionally, the exercise group demonstrated improvement in VO2peak (38.3 ± 6.4 ml/min/kg to 42.8 ± 7.3 ml/min/kg, P < .001) and a reduction in dyspnea and fatigue compared to the control group (P < .001).
Conclusions: Having PASC is associated with impaired endothelial function, but combined exercise training effectively restores it, making it a promising lifestyle intervention for vascular function in PASC.