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Baseline capillaroscopy provides no evidence of microvascular changes to predict long-COVID syndrome 2024 Ulusoy et al

Discussion in 'Long Covid research' started by Andy, Jul 12, 2024.

  1. Andy

    Andy Committee Member

    Messages:
    23,036
    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    Abstract:

    BACKGROUND: Long-COVID refers to a variety of symptoms that continue for at least 4 weeks following the onset of acute COVID-19 infection. “Microclots/microvasculopathy” is a potential cutting-edge theory. Nailfold capillaroscopy is a non-invasive method used to assess microvascularity. In this study, we aimed to compare baseline characteristics and capillaroscopic findings of patients with and without long-COVID syndrome.

    METHODS: Baseline clinical characteristics of 53 patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were recorded. At the time of COVID-19 diagnosis, patients underwent nailfold capillaroscopy. One year later, patients were rescreened for long-COVID symptoms. Comparisons were made between patients with and without long-COVID syndrome in terms of their baseline characteristics and capillaroscopic findings.

    RESULTS: There were 35 individuals (66%) with long-COVID syndrome. The most common symptoms related to long-COVID were fatigue (43.4%), myalgia (34%), arthralgia (20.8%), dyspnea (20.8%). In total, 22 patients (41.5%) had abnormal capillaroscopy findings. Like other baseline characteristics, the proportion of patients with abnormal capillaroscopic findings (40% vs 44%, p=0.76) was similar between patients with and without long-COVID syndrome.

    CONCLUSION: Microvasculopathy and microthrombotic vascular damage are among the strongest hypotheses discussed in this regard. Our results may suggest that factors, rather than baseline microvasculopathy, may drive pathophysiological mechanism underlying the poorly understood long-COVID syndrome

    Open access, https://www.elis.sk/index.php?page=...d=164&option=com_virtuemart&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1
     
    Andy, Jul 12, 2024
    #1
    RedFox, John Mac, Peter Trewhitt and 2 others like this.
  2. Creekside

    Creekside Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    1,220
    A study concluding negative results was published? Amazing! We need more of that, rather than studies tweaked to somehow provide some sort of positive findings. Disproving theories is important.
     
    Creekside, Jul 12, 2024
    #2
    horton6, RedFox, alktipping and 5 others like this.
  3. Eleanor

    Eleanor Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    267
    So either that's an unusual cohort at the outset or their definition of LC is meaninglessly broad.
     
    Eleanor, Jul 12, 2024
    #3
    horton6, EndME, RedFox and 6 others like this.
  4. Hutan

    Hutan Moderator Staff Member

    Messages:
    29,383
    Location:
    Aotearoa New Zealand
    Turkish study
    Yep

    Also, 72% of the patients were male and all were hospitalised. 74% of the "Long Covid" patients were male.

    Considering we would only expect maybe 10% of infected people to have Long Covid a year after infection, finding 35 people rather than 5 makes this study fatally flawed.

    It's a shame, a good study using this technique would be interesting.
     
    Hutan, Jul 13, 2024
    #4
    horton6, EndME, Peter Trewhitt and 3 others like this.

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