[Functional recovery in older inpatients with hypertension and ischemic heart disease post-COVID-19.]

Abstract

Understanding the recovery process of functional abilities post-COVID-19 in older inpatients with arterial hypertension and ischemic heart disease is important for optimising healthcare delivery and resources. Participants in this study were individuals undergoing hospital-based rehabilitation following COVID-19 (average age 66, n=183). They were categorised into groups with arterial hypertension (n=92), ischemic heart disease (n=18), both conditions (n=38), and a control group without these diseases (n=35). Functional abilities were assessed via the distance walked until signs of exhaustion (meters), handgrip strength (kilograms), and breath-holding time (seconds). Multiple regression analysis revealed that inpatients with arterial hypertension walked shorter distances (β=-19,183; p=0,050) but showed higher handgrip strength (β=3,735; p=0,025) compared to the control group. Post-rehabilitation, inpatients with hypertension demonstrated greater performance (β=40,435, p=0,024) and better improvement rates (β=47,337; p=0,016) in walked distance than those in the control group. Significant interaction effects between groups and pre-/post-rehabilitation changes were observed only for walking distance (β=34,74; p=0,02), with no significant interactions found for other measures. The findings indicate that older inpatients with arterial hypertension may experience comparable or enhanced recovery of functional abilities post-COVID-19. The presence of ischemic heart disease, alone or combined with hypertension, does not significantly impair rehabilitation outcomes compared to those without such conditions.