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A prospective study on endocrine function in patients with long-COVID symptoms
Panagiotis Mourelatos1, Charikleia S Vrettou2, Aristidis Diamantopoulos1
1Department of Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism, National Expertise Center for Rare Endocrine Diseases, Evangelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Hormones (Athens, Greece)
|November 23, 2023
Summary
Hormonal imbalances, including prediabetes and low dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), are common in long-COVID patients. However, these endocrine findings were not associated with most long-COVID symptoms, particularly fatigue.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Long-COVID is a complex condition with diverse symptoms.
- Endocrine dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a potential complication of COVID-19.
- Understanding hormonal status in long-COVID is crucial for comprehensive patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hormonal status of patients experiencing long-COVID.
- To explore the relationship between hormone levels and specific long-COVID symptoms.
- To identify potential endocrine disorders associated with post-COVID conditions.
Main Methods:
- A prospective observational study was conducted.
- Hormone levels (thyroid, growth hormone, adrenal, sex hormones, glucose metabolism) were measured in 84 long-COVID patients.
- Adrenal reserve was assessed via ACTH stimulation test, and fatigue was evaluated using the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS).
Main Results:
- 40.5% of patients exhibited at least one endocrine disorder, including prediabetes (21.4%) and low dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) (21.4%).
- Fatigue was the most prevalent symptom (89.3%), with 42.8% of patients scoring high on the FAS.
- No significant associations were found between hormone levels and most long-COVID symptoms, although diabetics reported confusion and hair loss more frequently.
Conclusions:
- Endocrine evaluation approximately 3 months post-SARS-CoV-2 infection revealed predominantly subclinical endocrine syndromes.
- The majority of long-COVID symptoms, especially fatigue, were not linked to the measured endocrine parameters.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the complex interplay between viral infection, endocrine function, and persistent symptoms.
