Gender Differences in the Recovery Rate Following PR in Patients With Long COVID-19
NCT ID: NCT05736939
Last Updated: 2023-10-11
Study Results
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Basic Information
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COMPLETED
30 participants
OBSERVATIONAL
2022-10-01
2023-03-15
Brief Summary
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• does gender limits the effects of a hybrid pulmonary rehabilitation programme on respiratory and peripheral muscle strength?
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Detailed Description
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This syndrome affects a large group of patients, and according to World Health Organisation it imposes a great burden on the healthcare systems worldwide. Consequently, it is important to identify preventable risk factors for 'Long COVID-19' in order to address the complex needs of these patients and reduce the prevalence of this new long-term condition.
According to the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) which has included adults with COVID-19 discharged from United Kingdom hospitals, the main risk factors associated with worse recovery at 1 year involved obesity, need for invasive mechanical ventilation during the acute illness and female sex. Other studies evaluating the prevalence of 'Long COVID-19' in the two sexes found that female patients were more likely to have one or more symptoms 12 months following the acute phase of the disease. Despite the fact that lengths of hospital and ICU stay were reduced in women compared to men, female sex proved to be an independent risk factor for the development of ongoing symptoms, among which were fatigue, dyspnoea, muscle aches and generalised weakness. The autoimmune hypothesis could account for the higher incidence of 'Long COVID-19' syndrome in women. According to this hypothesis, the immune response for both genetic and hormonal factors is stronger in women compared to men and hence autoimmune reactions are more prevalent in women.
Guidelines have been published suggesting the implementation of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programmes for the management of patients with 'Long COVID-19' syndrome. According to recently published systematic reviews, pulmonary rehabilitation is beneficial for patients with long COVID-19 syndrome in terms of quality of life, muscle strength, walking capacity and sit-to-stand performance. Whether reduced recovery prognosis and long-lasting ongoing symptoms in women adversely affect the outcome of rehabilitation is still unknown. This is an important issue for healthcare systems when considering management strategies for people with 'Long COVID-19' syndrome. Furthermore, tele-rehabilitation programmes are feasible and effective in improving physical capacity, quality of life and symptoms in adult survivors of COVID-19.
Accordingly, the present study looked into the effect of a hybrid rehabilitation programme (including out-patient and home-based sessions) on physical and mental health outcomes in previously hospitalised women and men with 'Long COVID-19' syndrome. It was hypothesised that the magnitude of improvement in women would be less compared to men.
Conditions
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Study Design
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COHORT
RETROSPECTIVE
Study Groups
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Men with long COVID-19 syndrome
Patients were male adults (\>18 years), with persistent symptoms more than 3 months since the acute phase of the COVID-19.
Out-patient Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) programme consisting of 30 minutes interval aerobic exercise on cycle ergometers at 100% of peak work rate (WRpeak) and resistance exercises for the upper body. Dyspnoea and leg discomfort were recorded on the modified 1-10 Borg scale, whereas heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation (SpO2%) were monitored by a pulse oximeter. Based on symptoms of breathlessness and fatigue reported at the end of each session, the exercise intensity was increased by 5-10% of the baseline WRpeak in the next session. The remote 24 home-based PR sessions consisted of 30 minutes walking with an individualised target of steps, recorded via the mobile app installed in the patients' mobile phone. The steps, leg discomfort and dyspnoea were reported by the patient via a physical activity diary on a weekly basis. If dyspnoea and fatigue were both \<4 at the Borg scale the weekly target of steps was increased by 5-10% by the assessors.
Women with long COVID-19 syndrome
Patients were women adults (\>18 years), with persistent symptoms more than 3 months since the acute phase of the COVID-19.
Out-patient Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) programme consisting of 30 minutes interval aerobic exercise on cycle ergometers at 100% of peak work rate (WRpeak) and resistance exercises for the upper body. Dyspnoea and leg discomfort were recorded on the modified 1-10 Borg scale, whereas heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation (SpO2%) were monitored by a pulse oximeter. Based on symptoms of breathlessness and fatigue reported at the end of each session, the exercise intensity was increased by 5-10% of the baseline WRpeak in the next session. The remote 24 home-based PR sessions consisted of 30 minutes walking with an individualised target of steps, recorded via the mobile app installed in the patients' mobile phone. The steps, leg discomfort and dyspnoea were reported by the patient via a physical activity diary on a weekly basis. If dyspnoea and fatigue were both \<4 at the Borg scale the weekly target of steps was increased by 5-10% by the assessors.
Interventions
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Out-patient Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) programme consisting of 30 minutes interval aerobic exercise on cycle ergometers at 100% of peak work rate (WRpeak) and resistance exercises for the upper body. Dyspnoea and leg discomfort were recorded on the modified 1-10 Borg scale, whereas heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation (SpO2%) were monitored by a pulse oximeter. Based on symptoms of breathlessness and fatigue reported at the end of each session, the exercise intensity was increased by 5-10% of the baseline WRpeak in the next session. The remote 24 home-based PR sessions consisted of 30 minutes walking with an individualised target of steps, recorded via the mobile app installed in the patients' mobile phone. The steps, leg discomfort and dyspnoea were reported by the patient via a physical activity diary on a weekly basis. If dyspnoea and fatigue were both \<4 at the Borg scale the weekly target of steps was increased by 5-10% by the assessors.
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* Presence of persistence fatigue assessed via FACIT questionnaire.
Exclusion Criteria
* occurrence of myocardial infarction
* hospitalisation for unstable angina
* stroke
* coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
* percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
* implantation of a cardiac resynchronisation therapy device (CRTD)
* active treatment for cancer or other malignant disease
* uncontrolled congestive heart disease (NYHA class \>3)
* acute psychosis or major psychiatric disorders or continued substance abuse
18 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
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National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Nikolaos Chynkiamis
Clinical Exercise Physiologist
Principal Investigators
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Nikolaos Chynkiamis, Ph.D.
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Sotiria General Hospital for Chest Diseases, Athens, Greece
Locations
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Sotiria Hospital
Athens, , Greece
Countries
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References
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Provided Documents
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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan
Related Links
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Coronavirus cases
Coronavirus cases
Other Identifiers
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24633
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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