Associations between symptoms and functional capacity in patients after COVID-19 infection and community controls.

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 documented 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.

Ruptured caseous calcification of the mitral annulus.

Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is considered a chronic and degenerative process involving the fibrous annulus of the mitral valve. The prevalence of MAC has been reported between 8% and 15%. It significantly increases with age, often seen in females, individuals with hypertension, chronic kidney disease and those with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Caseous calcification of the mitral annulus (CCMA) (also known as caseoma) is a rare variant of MAC and should be considered in the differential diagnosis with other cardiac masses of the mitral valve. An 85-year-old female presented for a transthoracic echocardiogram with a history of hypertension and a systolic murmur. The echocardiogram demonstrated a possible rare variant of MAC, with independent mobile echodensities identified. Further testing using transoesophageal echocardiography was used to confirm diagnosis and ensure appropriate clinical management was arranged. This case demonstrated CCMA, a benign condition that can be mistaken for cardiac tumours, thrombus, vegetations or abscesses. A low prevalence has been reported between 0.06% and 0.07% and 0.6% of patients with MAC using echocardiography. Echocardiography can provide the initial diagnosis for identification and characterisation of MAC. CCMA appears as a calcified mass with an echolucent, liquid-like inner part, located on the posterior mitral valve annulus. Acoustic shadowing is usually absent. Multi-modality imaging can lead to an accurate diagnosis of CCMA without unnecessary interventions. Transoesophageal echocardiography provides further information on the site and composition of the internal material. Computed tomography (CT) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can also be used, to confirm the diagnosis and to exclude other differential diagnoses.