Cardiac Baroreflex Is Preserved After the Recovery From COVID-19 Men and Women

Abstract

We sought to investigate whether mild COVID-19 impairs cardiac baroreflex sensitivity (cBRS), using the modified Oxford protocol, in young healthy men and women 12–14 weeks after recovering from the infection. Participants were distributed into two groups: Non-COVID-19 group (NCG: men n = 6 [30 ± 3years; 26 ± 1 kg/m²] and women n = 5 [25 ± 1 years; 25 ± 1 kg/m²]) and recovered from COVID-19 group (RCG: men n = 6 [29 ± 3 years; 25 ± 1 kg/m²] and women n = 10 [32 ± 4 years; 22 ± 1 kg/m²]), the RCG tested positive (RT-PCR) 12 to 14 weeks before the protocol. Beat-to-beat finger blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were measured during a bolus of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and phenylephrine (PHE), in a control condition and during cold pressor test (CPT) and moderate dynamic handgrip exercise (GRIP). Resting systolic BP was higher in the RCG (135 ± 14 mmHg vs. 122 ± 12 mmHg, p = 0.01). Both CPT and GRIP maneuvers increased HR and BP; the bolus of SNP diminished BP and evoked a reflex-mediated increase in HR; PHE increased BP, resulting in a reflex-mediated decrease in HR. Of note, cBRS for decrease or increase of BP did not differ between groups under the studied conditions: control (SNP, p = 0.39; PHE, p = 0.50); CPT (SNP, p = 0.09; PHE: p = 0.82); and GRIP (SNP, p = 0.35; PHE, p = 0.53). In conclusion, mild COVID-19 did not seem to impair cBRS in healthy young men and women 12–14 weeks after recovering from the infection.