Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 30, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancements in Multiplex Detection of Respiratory Viruses
03:53

Author Spotlight: Advancements in Multiplex Detection of Respiratory Viruses

Published on: November 10, 2023

1.3K

Long COVID Syndrome: A Case-Control Study

Rachel-Anne Xuereb1, Marica Borg2, Kevin Vella2

  • 1Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, Malta; University of Malta Medical School, Msida.

The American Journal of Medicine
|May 11, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Post-COVID-19 patients experience persistent symptoms and ongoing inflammation for months after infection. This study highlights medium-term cardiovascular sequelae and their association with inflammation markers like high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP).

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Acute COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is linked to cardiovascular complications.
  • Long-term cardiovascular effects post-COVID-19 remain largely unknown.
  • Investigating medium-term sequelae is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Assess symptomatology and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at 6 months post-COVID-19.
  • Determine if COVID-19 history and persistent shortness of breath correlate with inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and cardiac injury.
  • Evaluate ongoing systemic inflammation markers in post-COVID-19 patients.

Main Methods:

  • Case-control study comparing 174 COVID-19 survivors with 75 age- and gender-matched controls.
  • Interviews to assess symptoms and HRQoL using the Short Form Survey-36.
  • Biochemical tests including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), troponin I, and hemoglobin levels.

Main Results:

  • COVID-19 survivors reported increased shortness of breath, fatigue, arthralgia, and altered taste/smell compared to controls.
  • Cases showed significantly higher hsCRP levels, positively correlated with time post-infection.
  • Persistent shortness of breath was associated with age, female gender, white cell count, troponin I, and lower hemoglobin.

Conclusions:

  • Post-COVID-19 patients exhibit persistent symptoms at medium-term follow-up.
  • Elevated hsCRP and its association with time indicate ongoing systemic inflammation for months.
  • Findings suggest potential for medium-term cardiovascular sequelae requiring further investigation.
Abstract

Keywords:
Health-related quality of lifeHigh-sensitivity C-reactive proteinLong COVIDTroponin

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Inflammation in the Co-occurrence of Primary Sjogren's Syndrome and Lung Adenocarcinoma10:21

Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Inflammation in the Co-occurrence of Primary Sjogren's Syndrome and Lung Adenocarcinoma

Published on: September 20, 2024

501
Lung CT Segmentation to Identify Consolidations and Ground Glass Areas for Quantitative Assesment of SARS-CoV Pneumonia08:05

Lung CT Segmentation to Identify Consolidations and Ground Glass Areas for Quantitative Assesment of SARS-CoV Pneumonia

Published on: December 19, 2020

14.2K

Related Concept Videos

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs01:05

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs

A single nucleotide polymorphism or SNP is a single nucleotide variation at a specific genomic position in a large population. It is the most prevalent type of sequence variation found in the human genome. Point mutations that occur in more than 1% of the population qualify as SNPs. These are present once every 1000 nucleotides on an average in the human genome. Replacement of a purine with another purine (A/G) or a pyrimidine with another pyrimidine (C/T) is known as a transition. In contrast,...
15.3K
Longitudinal Research02:20

Longitudinal Research

Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
12.0K
Controls in Experiments01:13

Controls in Experiments

When conducting an experiment, it is crucial to have control to reduce bias and accurately measure the dependent variables. It also marks the results more reliable. Controls are elements in an experiment that have the same characteristics as the treatment groups but are not affected by the independent variable. By sorting these data into control and experimental conditions, the relationship between the dependent and independent variables can be drawn. A randomized experiment always includes a...
7.9K
COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features01:20

COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a group of lung conditions that progressively worsen over time, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. This cluster of diseases collectively leads to a gradual and irreversible decline in lung function over time.
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...
379
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies01:27

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies

Assessing and diagnosing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) involves a detailed approach that includes a comprehensive review of medical history, physical examination, and a variety of diagnostic tests. This thorough evaluation is essential to ensure an accurate diagnosis and guide effective management strategies.
Medical History
2.5K
Bias in Epidemiological Studies01:29

Bias in Epidemiological Studies

Biases can arise at various stages of research, from study design and data collection to analysis and interpretation. Recognizing and addressing these biases is essential to ensure the validity and reliability of epidemiological findings.Broadly speaking, biases in epidemiology fall into three main categories: selection bias, information bias, and confounding. A more detailed description of possible biases is:  
400