Title The Cardiac Comeback-Beating Stronger: Exploring the Remarkable Resilience of the Heart in COVID-19 Recovery through Cardiac Autonomic Analysis.
Author Garg, Sakshi; Saini, Preeti; Rizvi, Moattar Raza; Ahmad, Fuzail; AlTaweel, Mohammed; Sabah, Zia Ul; Durrani, Humayoun K; Almasswary, Shatha A; Seyam, Mohamed K; Sharma, Ankita; Ahmad, Irshad; Marzoogi, Sara Al; Shaphe, Mohammad A; Uddin, Shadab; Ahmad, Irshad
Journal Medicina (Kaunas) Publication Year/Month 2023-Jul
PMID 37629687 PMCID PMC10456477
Affiliation + expend 1.Department of Physiotherapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, Manav Rachna International Institute and Studies (MRIIRS), Faridabad 121001, India.

Background and Objectives: Analyzing the cardiac autonomic function in COVID-19 patients can provide insights into the impact of the virus on the heart\'s regulatory mechanisms and its recovery. The autonomic nervous system plays a crucial role in regulating the heart\'s functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiac output. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on heart rate variability (HRV) during a 6-min walk test (6MWT). Materials and Methods: The study included 74 participants, consisting of 37 individuals who had recovered from mild to moderate COVID-19 and 37 healthy controls. The study assessed heart rate variability (HRV) and blood pressure both before and after a 6-min walk test (6MWT). Results: The study found significant differences in a few time domains (SDNN and pNN50) and all frequency domain measures, whereas there were no significant differences in demographic characteristics or blood pressure between COVID-19-recovered individuals and healthy controls at rest. There were significant 6MWT effects on average HR, time-domain (SDNN and pNN50) measures of HRV, and all frequency domain measures of HRV. A significant group x 6MWT interaction was found for SDNN, pNN50, total power, Ln total power, LF, HF, Ln LF, Ln HF, and LF nu. Conclusions: Cardiac Autonomic analysis through HRV is essential to ensure the continued health and well-being of COVID-19 survivors and to minimize the potential long-term impacts of the disease on their cardiovascular system. This suggests that HRV analysis during the recovery phase following exercise could serve as a valuable tool for evaluating the physiological effects of COVID-19 and monitoring the recovery process.

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