Cardiac Hemodynamics, Tissue Oxygenation, and Functional Capacity in Post-COVID-19 Patients

• Published in: Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Vol. 61; no. 1; p. 124
• Main Authors: Nascimento, Elizane Poquiviqui do, Nascimento, Larissa Fernanda Estevam do, Castro, Lhara de Freitas, Barros, Vilena Cavalcante de, Bandeira, Emily Rachel Pereira, Wanderley e Lima, Thiago Bezerra, Otto-Yáñez, Matías, Fregonezi, Guilherme Augusto de Freitas, Resqueti, Vanessa Regiane
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.01.2025; MDPI
• Subjects: Adult; Blood pressure; cardiograph; Case-Control Studies; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; coronavirus infections; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - complications; COVID-19 - physiopathology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dyspnea; exercise test; Exercise Test - methods; exercise tolerance; Exercise Tolerance - physiology; Female; Heart rate; Hemodynamics; Hemodynamics - physiology; Hemoglobin; Hospitals; Humans; impedance; Intensive care; Male; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Middle Aged; Oxygen; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Oxygen saturation; SARS-CoV-2; Walk Test; United States > US; Netherlands; near infrared; cardiograph; spectroscopy; exercise tolerance; impedance; coronavirus infections; exercise test; hemodynamics
• ISSN: 1648-9144; 1010-660X; 1648-9144
• DOI: 10.3390/medicina61010124

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the functional capacity of post-COVID-19 patients with a control group and analyze cardiac hemodynamics and muscle tissue oxygenation responses during assessment protocols in both groups. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving patients with COVID-19 and a control group who were all aged ≥18 years. Participants underwent two functional capacity tests: the one-minute sit–stand test (1-STS) and the six-minute walk test (6MWT). Cardiac hemodynamic responses were evaluated using impedance during the 1-STS, and tissue perfusion responses in the oxygenation were recorded during and after both tests. The Friedman test was used for within-group and the Mann–Whitney test was used for between-group comparisons. Results: Thirty-six post-COVID-19 patients (median age 36 years, BMI 26.51 kg/m2) and eleven control subjects (median age 25 years, BMI 23.71 kg/m2) were enrolled. The post-COVID-19 group showed a 20% decrease in 6MWT distance (p = 0.0001) and a 28% decrease in 1-STS repetitions (p = 0.01) versus the control group. Cardiac hemodynamic differences were observed in the post-COVID-19 group during the 1-STS, with reductions in the stroke volume index (18%, p = 0.004), cardiac index (21%, p = 0.0009), Contractility Index (78%, p = 0.0001), and Ejection Fraction (29%, p = 0.0003) and increases in Systemic Vascular Resistance (25%, p = 0.03) and the Systemic Vascular Resistance Index (27%, p = 0.0007). Tissue oxygenation during the 6MWT and 1-STS showed no significant differences between groups. Conclusions: The post-COVID-19 subjects exhibited a reduction in functional capacity, changes in hemodynamic responses related to cardiac and systemic vascular resistance, and a similar pattern of muscle oxygen delivery and consumption in both tests