Orthostatic intolerance in adults with long COVID was not associated with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (preprint)

ABSTRACT

In this observational cross-sectional study, we investigated predictors of orthostatic intolerance (OI) in adults with long COVID. Participants underwent a 3-minute active stand (AS) with Finapres® NOVA, followed by a 10-minute unmedicated 70-degree head-up tilt test. 85 participants were included (mean age 46 years, range 25-78; 74% women), of which 56 (66%) reported OI during AS (OI AS ). OI AS seemed associated with female sex, more fatigue and depressive symptoms, and greater inability to perform activities of daily living (ADL), as well as a higher heart rate (HR) at the lowest systolic blood pressure (SBP) point before the 1 st minute post-stand (mean HR nadir 88 vs 75 bpm, P=0.004). In a regression model also including age, sex, fatigue, depression, ADL inability, and peak HR after the nadir SBP, HR nadir was the only OI AS predictor (OR=1.09, 95% CI 1.01-1.18, P=0.027). 22 participants had initial (iOH) and 5 classical (cOH) orthostatic hypotension, but neither correlated with OI AS . 71 participants proceeded to tilt, of which 28 had OI during tilt (OI tilt ). Of the 53 who had a 10-minute tilt, 7 (13%) fulfilled hemodynamic postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) criteria, but 6 did not report OI tilt . OI AS was associated with a higher initial HR on AS, which after 1 minute equalized with the non-OI AS group. Despite these initial orthostatic HR differences, POTS was infrequent and largely asymptomatic. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT05027724 (retrospectively registered on August 30, 2021).