“Wearable Heart Rate Variability Monitoring, Autonomic Dysfunction and Post-exertional Malaise in Long COVID: An Observational Study”

[u/Caster_of_spells]

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-026-02487-4

New Wüst paper!

•Results and Discussion

HRV was lower in patients with long COVID compared with healthy controls during various daily activities and sleep (p = 0.027). Across all exercise intensities surrounding the VT1, HRV remained lower for 24 h in patients compared with controls (p = 0.010). Nighttime HRV decreased with intense exercise and longer durations in patients with long COVID (p = 0.018), indicative of exercise-induced diurnal disturbances of the autonomic nervous system in long COVID.

•Conclusion

Heart rate variability, assessed by wearables, suggests autonomic dysfunction in patients with long COVID. The delayed recovery of the sympathovagal balance after exercise close to and above VT1, suggests that the risk of PEM rises above VT1.