Rehabilitation-Induced Benefits Do Not Differ between Men and Women with Long Covid-19 Syndrome

Abstract

Female sex is one of the main risk factors associated with worse recovery at 1-year post-hospital discharge for COVID-19. Whether reduced recovery prognosis and symptoms associated with long COVID-19 in women adversely affect the outcome of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) remains inconclusive.Fifteen men (mean±SD: 53±16 years) and 12 women (54±8.5 years) completed a hybrid PR programme. The fractional improvement in maximum inspiratory pressure and in quadriceps muscle strength was identical for both men and women (10% and 12%, respectively). There was no difference (p=0.143) regarding the increase in the six-minute walk distance between men and women (by 89±58 and 52±69 metres, respectively) or in daily step count (p=0.744) (by 1389±1569 and 1189±1569, respectively). The improvement in the CAT score was comparable between men and women (by 6±5 and 8±6, respectively). Only women exhibited clinically meaningful improvements in HADS anxiety (by 4±6) and depression (by 3±3).Female sex does not adversely affect the outcome of PR post-hospital discharge for COVID-19.

Note:
Funding declaration: None

Conflict of Interests: None

Ethical Approval: The investigations were carried out according to the rules of the Declaration of Helsinki of 1975 and the study was approved by the University Hospital Ethics Committee (Protocol ID-24633)

Trial Registration: NCT05736939

Keywords: COVID-19pulmonary rehabilitationquality of lifefunctional capacityexercise tolerance