Published On : Tue, Sep 6th, 2022

High cholesterol, reduced stamina may signal long Covid

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Madhya Pradesh, June 30 (ANI): Air India flight carrying 144 Indian passengers from Ukraine arrive at Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport in Indore on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)

Young people infected with Covid-19 are likely to have increased cholesterol, a high body mass index (BMI), and reduced physical stamina after the viral infection, according to a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

Some people with COVID-19 have lingering symptoms for weeks or months after they begin to recover, a condition termed as long COVID.

The researchers from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, found that these people may be more likely to develop metabolic disorders and cardiovascular complications in the long term.

“Increased BMI, high cholesterol and lower physical stamina is suggestive of a higher risk of developing metabolic disorders and possible cardiovascular complications,” said study principal investigator Patricia Schlagenhauf.

“These results have societal and public-health effects and can be used to guide strategies for broad interdisciplinary evaluation of COVID-19 sequelae (long COVID), their management, curative treatments, and provision of support in young adult populations,” Schlagenhauf said.

The study evaluated possible long COVID implications in young Swiss military personnel. It was conducted between May and November 2021 with 29 female and 464 male participants with a median age of 21.