An Exercise Prescription as a Novel Management Strategy for Treatment of Long COVID 2022 Rudofker et al

[Andy]

Abstract
Mechanisms causing the post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (long COVID) remain elusive, but the clinical phenotype is consistent with cardiac deconditioning. We report a case series of patients with long COVID whose symptoms improved/resolved with exercise and present exercise training as a novel therapeutic strategy for management of long COVID syndrome.

Open access, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666084922006003

 

[Andy]

"Mechanisms accounting for the post-acute sequelae of SARS CoV-2 (long COVID) are unclear. However, long COVID is consistent with cardiac deconditioning,1 causing exercise intolerance, brain fog/impaired cognition, tachycardia, and orthostatic intolerance—all characteristic of long COVID.2 Furthermore, cardiac deconditioning may occur with as little as 20 hours of bed rest.3

Learning Objectives

• To understand that the long COVID clinical phenotype is similar to symptoms encountered with cardiac deconditioning.
• To characterize the positive effect of exercise on symptoms among patients with long COVID.
• To describe a tailored exercise prescription as a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with long COVID.

Conditions such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS),4 and debility following bed rest improve with exercise.5 We have developed an exercise prescription (Figure 1) similar to that recently proposed by the American College of Cardiology for patients with long COVID6 and found that exercise training provides clinically meaningful improvement in symptoms. Herein, we highlight 3 illustrative examples of patients who have benefited from completing this program."

And guess what they are using as 'evidence' that CFS improves with exercise. Yup, it's the good old Cochrane review.

 

[Trish]

At least they are using limiting heart rate, so this might limit harm. To pretend this is a novel idea and present only 3 cases is ridiculous. I wonder how many had to drop out of such a program because of PEM or simply not being able to increase activity within the heart rate limitations.

 

[rvallee]

the clinical phenotype is consistent with cardiac deconditioning

It's actually not, and obviously so if one bothers to pay attention, so that's awkward. But facts don't matter in EBM so it figures.

A solution for everything in desperate search for a problem. As novel as the Sun rising in the morning.

 

[ME/CFS Skeptic]

Funny how they describe it as a "Novel Management Strategy" as it is something innovative or creative...