People with Long Covid and ME/CFS Exhibit Similarly Impaired Balance and Physical Capacity: A Case-Case-Control Study - 13/08/23

Doi : 10.1016/j.amjmed.2023.06.028

Lawrence D. Hayes, PhD ^a,^⁎ , Nilihan E.M. Sanal-Hayes, PhD ^a,^b, Marie Mclaughlin, PhD ^a, Ethan C.J. Berry, BSc (Hons) ^a, Nicholas F. Sculthorpe, PhD ^a
^a Sport and Physical Activity Research Institute, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, United Kingdom
^b School of Health & Society, University of Salford, Salford, United Kingdom

^⁎Requests for reprints should be addressed to Lawrence D. Hayes, PhD, Sport and Physical Activity Research Institute, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, UK.Sport and Physical Activity Research InstituteSchool of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of ScotlandGlasgowUK

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Abstract

Purpose

Postural sway and physical capacity had not previously been compared between people with long COVID and people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Therefore, this study determined postural sway and physical capacity in people with long COVID (∼16-month illness duration; n = 21) and ME/CFS (∼16-year illness duration; n = 20), vs age-matched healthy controls (n = 20).

Methods

Postural sway was during a 30-s static stand test. Physical capacity was determined using the Timed Up and Go test and 5 Times Sit to Stand test. Throughout, participants wore isoinertial measurement units.

Results

Postural sway was worse (ie, greater) in people with long COVID and ME/CFS than controls, but not different between long COVID and ME/CFS. Performance of the Timed Up and Go test and 5 Times Sit to Stand test were worse in long COVID and ME/CFS than controls, but not different between long COVID and ME/CFS. Of long COVID and ME/CFS participants, 87% and 13% exceeded the threshold for muscle weakness in the 5 Times Sit to Stand test and Timed Up and Go test, respectively.

Conclusions

These data suggest that both people with long COVID and people with ME/CFS have similarly impaired balance and physical capacity. Therefore, there is an urgent need for interventions to target postural sway and physical capacity in people with ME/CFS, and given the current pandemic, people with long COVID.

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Keywords : Balance, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Functional capacity, Myalgic encephalomyelitis, Post-exertional malaise, Postural control

Plan

Introduction

Methods

Participants

Postural Sway Measurement

	Funding: This work was supported by grants from the Chief Scientist Office for Scotland (COV/LTE/20/08) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (COV-LT2-0010).
	Conflicts of Interest: The submitted work was not carried out in the presence of any personal, professional, or financial relationships that could potentially be construed as a conflict of interest.
	Authorship: All authors participated in preparing and have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. LDH: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Data curation, Writing – original draft, review, & editing; Visualization, Project administration, Funding acquisition; NEMS-H: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Investigation, Data curation, Writing – review & editing, Project administration; MM: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Investigation, Data curation, Writing – review & editing, Project administration; ECJB: Software, Validation, Investigation, Data curation, Writing – review & editing, Project administration; NFS: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Investigation, Resources, Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition.