Dizziness, fatigue, brain fog and a racing heart are commonly associated with Long COVID but new research suggests these symptoms may indicate POTS (Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) which is often difficult to diagnose and equally debilitating.
The Adelaide University research in partnership with the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) found two-thirds of their Long COVID participants also met the diagnostic criteria for POTS.
Lead researcher Dr Marie-Claire Seeley from the Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre at Adelaide University said the findings helped explain some symptoms experienced by people with Long COVID and would help better diagnose, assess and treat POTS.
“For people living with Long COVID, symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, brain fog and a racing heart can be debilitating – our findings suggest in some cases POTS may be contributing to those symptoms,” Dr Seeley said.
“Identifying POTS earlier could help patients access more targeted treatment and support.”
Around 800,000 Australians are living with POTS and many more go undiagnosed. This is because it is a complex and often misunderstood condition which affects the system that controls automatic body functions such as heart rate, breathing and digestion. This can cause a wide range of seemingly unrelated symptoms.
The study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association is believed to be the first to look at autonomic symptoms, heart rate response, inflammatory markers and antibodies in people with Long COVID, POTS, as well as healthy volunteers.
Specifically, it showed that on standing average heart rates rose by 46 beats per minute in the POTS group, and 35 beats per minute in the Long COVID group, compared with just 13 beats per minute in healthy volunteers.
Researchers also uncovered early cues about the biology behind POTS, with blood tests revealing subtle differences in inflammatory markers that suggest low-grade inflammation may play a role.
Almost 60 percent of Long COVID participants had been unable to return to work following their infection, while just over four percent of participants with POTS were engaged in full-time work or education.
