The metabolic and physiologic impairments underlying long COVID associated exercise intolerance

Abstract Data from invasive CPET (iCPET) revealed long COVID patients have impaired systemic oxygen extraction (EO2), suggesting impaired mitochondrial ATP production. However, it remains uncertain whether the initial severity of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection has implications on EO2 and exercise capacity (VO...

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Main Authors: Brooks P. Leitner, Phillip Joseph, Andres Figueroa Quast, Maria Alejandra Ramirez, Paul M. Heerdt, Jose G. Villalobos, Inderjit Singh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-10-01
Series:Pulmonary Circulation
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/pul2.70009
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author Brooks P. Leitner
Phillip Joseph
Andres Figueroa Quast
Maria Alejandra Ramirez
Paul M. Heerdt
Jose G. Villalobos
Inderjit Singh
author_facet Brooks P. Leitner
Phillip Joseph
Andres Figueroa Quast
Maria Alejandra Ramirez
Paul M. Heerdt
Jose G. Villalobos
Inderjit Singh
author_sort Brooks P. Leitner
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Data from invasive CPET (iCPET) revealed long COVID patients have impaired systemic oxygen extraction (EO2), suggesting impaired mitochondrial ATP production. However, it remains uncertain whether the initial severity of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection has implications on EO2 and exercise capacity (VO2) nor has there been assessment of anerobic ATP generation in long COVID patients. iCPET was performed on 47 long COVID patients (i.e., full cohort; n = 8 with severe SARS‐CoV‐2 infection). In a subset of patients (i.e., metabolomic cohort; n = 26) metabolomics on venous and arterial blood samples during iCPET was performed. In the full cohort, long COVID patients exhibited reduced peak EO2 with reduced peak VO2 (90 ± 17% predicted) relative to cardiac output (118 ± 23% predicted). Peak VO2 [88% predicted (IQR 81% ‐ 108%) vs. 70% predicted (IQR 64% ‐ 89%); p = 0.02] and EO2 [0.59(IQR 0.53–0.62) vs. 0.53(IQR 0.50–0.48); p = 0.01) were lower in severe versus mild infection. In the metabolomic cohort, 12 metabolites were significantly consumed, and 41 metabolites were significantly released (p‐values < 0.05). Quantitative metabolomics demonstrated significant increases in inosine and succinate arteriovenous gradients during exercise. Peak VO2 was significantly correlated with peak venous succinate (r = 0.68; p = 0.0008) and peak venous lactate (r = 0.49; p = 0.0004). Peak EO2 and consequently peak VO2 impact long COVID patients in a severity dependent manner. Exercise intolerance associated with long COVID is defined by impaired aerobic and anaerobic energy production. Peak venous succinate may serve as a potential biomarker in long COVID.
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spelling doaj-art-2f588134701940be8528c742bfd1d4992025-08-20T02:43:38ZengWileyPulmonary Circulation2045-89402024-10-01144n/an/a10.1002/pul2.70009The metabolic and physiologic impairments underlying long COVID associated exercise intoleranceBrooks P. Leitner0Phillip Joseph1Andres Figueroa Quast2Maria Alejandra Ramirez3Paul M. Heerdt4Jose G. Villalobos5Inderjit Singh6Yale School of Medicine New Haven Connecticut USADepartment of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Yale School of Medicine New Haven Connecticut USADepartment of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Yale School of Medicine New Haven Connecticut USADepartment of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Yale School of Medicine New Haven Connecticut USADepartment of Anesthesiology Yale School of Medicine New Haven Connecticut USADepartment of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Yale School of Medicine New Haven Connecticut USADepartment of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Yale School of Medicine New Haven Connecticut USAAbstract Data from invasive CPET (iCPET) revealed long COVID patients have impaired systemic oxygen extraction (EO2), suggesting impaired mitochondrial ATP production. However, it remains uncertain whether the initial severity of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection has implications on EO2 and exercise capacity (VO2) nor has there been assessment of anerobic ATP generation in long COVID patients. iCPET was performed on 47 long COVID patients (i.e., full cohort; n = 8 with severe SARS‐CoV‐2 infection). In a subset of patients (i.e., metabolomic cohort; n = 26) metabolomics on venous and arterial blood samples during iCPET was performed. In the full cohort, long COVID patients exhibited reduced peak EO2 with reduced peak VO2 (90 ± 17% predicted) relative to cardiac output (118 ± 23% predicted). Peak VO2 [88% predicted (IQR 81% ‐ 108%) vs. 70% predicted (IQR 64% ‐ 89%); p = 0.02] and EO2 [0.59(IQR 0.53–0.62) vs. 0.53(IQR 0.50–0.48); p = 0.01) were lower in severe versus mild infection. In the metabolomic cohort, 12 metabolites were significantly consumed, and 41 metabolites were significantly released (p‐values < 0.05). Quantitative metabolomics demonstrated significant increases in inosine and succinate arteriovenous gradients during exercise. Peak VO2 was significantly correlated with peak venous succinate (r = 0.68; p = 0.0008) and peak venous lactate (r = 0.49; p = 0.0004). Peak EO2 and consequently peak VO2 impact long COVID patients in a severity dependent manner. Exercise intolerance associated with long COVID is defined by impaired aerobic and anaerobic energy production. Peak venous succinate may serve as a potential biomarker in long COVID.https://doi.org/10.1002/pul2.70009invasive CPETlong COVIDmetabolomicPASC
spellingShingle Brooks P. Leitner
Phillip Joseph
Andres Figueroa Quast
Maria Alejandra Ramirez
Paul M. Heerdt
Jose G. Villalobos
Inderjit Singh
The metabolic and physiologic impairments underlying long COVID associated exercise intolerance
Pulmonary Circulation
invasive CPET
long COVID
metabolomic
PASC
title The metabolic and physiologic impairments underlying long COVID associated exercise intolerance
title_full The metabolic and physiologic impairments underlying long COVID associated exercise intolerance
title_fullStr The metabolic and physiologic impairments underlying long COVID associated exercise intolerance
title_full_unstemmed The metabolic and physiologic impairments underlying long COVID associated exercise intolerance
title_short The metabolic and physiologic impairments underlying long COVID associated exercise intolerance
title_sort metabolic and physiologic impairments underlying long covid associated exercise intolerance
topic invasive CPET
long COVID
metabolomic
PASC
url https://doi.org/10.1002/pul2.70009
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