• Daniele Ferreira Rodrigues, Victor Ribeiro Neves, Ulisses Ramos Montarroyos, Washington José Dos Santos, Isabelle Carolline Verissimo de Farias, and FilhoDário Celestino SobralDCSHealth Sciences Postgraduate Program at the Universidade de Pernambuco (UPE), Recife, PE, Brazil..
• Health Sciences Postgraduate Program at the Universidade de Pernambuco (UPE), Recife, PE, Brazil; Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE, Brazil. Electronic address: daniele-fisio@hotmail.com.
• Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2024 Nov 19; 79: 100534100534.

IntroductionPatients with a moderate to severe clinical condition of COVID-19 who need hospitalization may have dysfunction in Cardiac Autonomic Control (CAC) and functional capacity.ObjectiveTo assess the association of HRV with cardiorespiratory fitness and respiratory and peripheral muscle strength in patients after hospitalization for COVID-19.MethodCross-sectional study with individuals > 18-years old, post-hospitalization for COVID-19, with a positive RT-PCR test. Data on clinical condition and hospital admission were collected, and parameters of respiratory and peripheral muscle strength and functional capacity were evaluated with the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT). CAC was assessed by analyzing (Heart Rate Variability) HRV in the time (SDNN, RMSSD) and frequency domains (HF, LF, HF/LF ratio). Pearson correlation was performed between HRV measures and functional parameters.ResultsThe results showed low HRV in study participants, with positive correlations between 6MWT and RMSSD and between SDNN and HF power and negative correlations between Heart Rate and the LF/HF ratio. On the other hand, respiratory and peripheral muscle strength correlated positively with parameters that represent sympathetic nervous system expression (LF nu and LF power) and negatively with the LF/HF ratio. However, changes in HRV parameters were not associated with disease severity.ConclusionThe dysautonomia of COVID-19 patients was correlated with functional sequelae, though not associated with disease severity parameters. There was low HRV, with low vagal expression, and imbalance in sympathetic/parasympathetic modulation in the study group.Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.

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