Articles: covid-19.
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This study aimed to compare flow-mediated dilation values between individuals with long COVID, individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and healthy age-matched controls to assess the potential implications for clinical management and long-term health outcomes. ⋯ The study demonstrates that both long COVID and ME/CFS patients exhibit similarly impaired endothelial function, indicating potential vascular involvement in the pathogenesis of these post-viral illnesses. The significant reduction in flow-mediated dilation values suggests an increased cardiovascular risk in these populations, warranting careful monitoring and the development of targeted interventions to improve endothelial function and mitigate long-term health implications.
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A significant proportion of COVID survivors experience lingering and debilitating symptoms following acute COVID-19 infection. According to the national research plan on long COVID, it is a national priority to identify the prevalence of post-COVID conditions and their associated factors. ⋯ Our findings indicate a notable prevalence of post-COVID conditions, particularly among middle-aged women and individuals with comorbidities or adverse lifestyles. This high-risk demographic may require long-term follow-up and support. Further investigations are essential to facilitate the development of specified healthcare and therapeutic strategies for those suffering from post-COVID conditions.
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Many patients diagnosed with COVID-19 have persistent cardiovascular symptoms, but whether this represents a true cardiac process is unclear. This study assessed whether symptoms associated with long COVID among patients referred for cardiovascular evaluation are associated with objective abnormalities on cardiac testing to explain their clinical presentation. ⋯ This pragmatic retrospective cohort study suggests that patients with long COVID referred for cardiovascular evaluation infrequently have new, objective cardiovascular disease to explain their clinical presentation. A multidisciplinary, patient-centered approach is warranted for symptom management along with conservative use of diagnostic testing.
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Long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) patients experience multiple complex symptoms, potentially linked to imbalances in brain neurochemicals. This study aims to measure brain neurochemical levels in long COVID and ME/CFS patients as well as healthy controls to investigate associations with severity measures. ⋯ Our study identified significantly elevated glutamate and N-acetyl-aspartate levels in long COVID and ME/CFS patients compared with healthy controls. No significant differences in brain neurochemicals were observed between the 2 patient cohorts, suggesting a potential overlap in their underlying pathology. These findings suggest that imbalanced neurochemicals contribute to the complex symptoms experienced by long COVID and ME/CFS patients.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2025
Designing and delivering a poetry workshop for clinician well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study.
Facilitated poetry writing workshops are used in healthcare settings as a therapeutic approach to address stressful factors that negatively influence clinician well-being. However, owing to the novelty of this intervention and a tendency to combine poetry with other types of narrative-based techniques, proponents of poetic medicine are calling for harmonization across programs in the US. This would facilitate the study of poetry in medicine and the multiple facets of well-being it is said to promote. To address these points, we partnered with a well-established poetry center to develop and study a facilitated poetry writing workshop program for palliative care and emergency medicine clinicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ Healthcare systems seeking to incorporate poetry into their wellness programming may build upon our findings to create flexible workshops suited to their clinician audience and program intent.