AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY IN YOUNG ADULTS WITH LONG-COVID SYNDROME

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Long COVID syndrome, a post-acute sequela of SARS-CoV-2 infection, affects various physiological systems.
• Cardiovascular complications are a growing concern in long COVID patients.
• Understanding blood pressure (BP) dynamics in young adults with long COVID is crucial for risk stratification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (AMBP) and BP variability in young adults diagnosed with long COVID syndrome.
• To compare BP parameters and variability metrics between long COVID patients and age-matched healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 58 young adults with long COVID syndrome (mean age 23.07 years) and 57 healthy controls (mean age 22.9 years) were enrolled.
• Ambulatory 24-hour blood pressure monitoring (AMBP) was performed, measuring mean BP, daytime/nighttime BP, pulse pressure, and nocturnal systolic BP dipping.
• Systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) variability were assessed using average real variability (ARV), coefficient of variation (CV), and standard deviation (SD).

Main Results:

• Long COVID patients showed significantly higher mean 24-hour SBP and DBP, particularly during nighttime hours.
• Nighttime pulse pressure was elevated in long COVID patients, and nocturnal systolic BP dipping was reduced compared to controls.
• Increased ARV for both SBP and DBP was observed in the long COVID group, indicating greater BP variability.

Conclusions:

• Young adults with long COVID syndrome present with higher nighttime BP and significant BP variability.
• These findings suggest an increased risk for future cardiovascular events in this population.
• Prospective studies are warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and causality of these cardiovascular alterations.