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Long-COVID fatigue is not predicted by pre-pandemic plasma IL-6 levels in mild COVID-19 2023 Freidin, Pariante, Williams et al

Discussion in 'Long Covid research' started by Andy, Mar 31, 2023.

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  1. Andy

    Andy Committee Member

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    21,814
    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    Abstract

    Objective and design: Fatigue is a prominent symptom in the general population and may follow viral infection, including SARS-CoV2 infection which causes COVID-19. Chronic fatigue lasting more than three months is the major symptom of the post-COVID syndrome (known colloquially as long-COVID). The mechanisms underlying long-COVID fatigue are unknown. We hypothesized that the development of long-COVID chronic fatigue is driven by the pro-inflammatory immune status of an individual prior to COVID-19.

    Subjects and methods: We analyzed pre-pandemic plasma levels of IL-6, which plays a key role in persistent fatigue, in N = 1274 community dwelling adults from TwinsUK. Subsequent COVID-19-positive and -negative participants were categorized based on SARS-CoV-2 antigen and antibody testing. Chronic fatigue was assessed using the Chalder Fatigue Scale.

    Results: COVID-19-positive participants exhibited mild disease. Chronic fatigue was a prevalent symptom among this population and significantly higher in positive vs. negative participants (17% vs 11%, respectively; p = 0.001). The qualitative nature of chronic fatigue as determined by individual questionnaire responses was similar in positive and negative participants. Pre-pandemic plasma IL-6 levels were positively associated with chronic fatigue in negative, but not positive individuals. Raised BMI was associated with chronic fatigue in positive participants.

    Conclusions: Pre-existing increased IL-6 levels may contribute to chronic fatigue symptoms, but there was no increased risk in individuals with mild COVID-19 compared with uninfected individuals. Elevated BMI also increased the risk of chronic fatigue in mild COVID-19, consistent with previous reports.

    PubMed abstract, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36995412/
    Journal link (not working at time of posting), http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00011-023-01722-2
     
    Peter Trewhitt and Hutan like this.
  2. rvallee

    rvallee Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    12,300
    Location:
    Canada
    11% of the population does not have chronic fatigue, by any definition. Which is something you may get by using something ridiculous like the CFQ. But this study is useless because of this. Pure genius, doing entirely worthless studies while we can barely fund anything. But those garbage-tier studies keep getting money thrown at them.

    And a whole study to check for one thing only like this? Good grief it's as if medical research tries to maximize overhead and waste, a full reverse on leverage, economies of scale and opportunity cost. It's like a study in bad economics: how to get the least out of giant sums of money that produce nothing at all and are a textbook tragedy of the commons. Absurd, this entire system needs to be replaced.
     
    Ariel likes this.

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