COMPARISON OF BLOOD PRESSURE INDICES (MEAN ARTERIAL PRESSURE AND PULSE PRESSURE) AFTER INDUCTION OF STRESS BETWEEN POST-COVID-19 AND HEALTHY ADULTS

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to compute the effect of stress 6-minute Walk Test (6-MWT)/Exercise) on Blood Pressure Indices (BPIs) in both COVID-19 patients and Controls. Materials and Methods: A total of 122 young adults were included in this research with 61 participants each in the cases and the controls group. Participants between the ages of 18-40 with a previously positive confirmed PCR report covid (>3 months had passed after resolution of COVID-19 infection) were included as cases while healthy adults who did not contract covid were included in the control group. All the participants from both groups were stressed by asking them to perform the 6MWT. The subject’s blood pressure was checked both before and after the stress and their MAP and PP were calculated. Results: In both pre and post-stress comparisons between cases and controls there was no significant difference between MAP (Post-Stress p=1 and Pre-Stress p=0.25) and PP (Post-Stress p=0.129 and Pre-Stress p=0.68). Matrix Scatter Plot between variables both pre and post-stress shows that all the variables (MAP, PP, and HR) did not correlate with each other. Conclusion: BPI i.e., MAP and PP show no significant difference between post-COVID participants and healthy adults after induction of stress. Keywords: Six Minute Walk Test; Covid-19; Mean Arterial Pressure; Pulse Pressure