Clinical trial NCT06073002: Effects of a Home-Based Exercise Intervention in Subjects with Long COVID
Official title: Effects of a Home-Based Exercise Intervention on Physical Function, Symptoms and Health-Related Quality of Life in Subjects with Long Covid
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Long COVID-19
Post-COVID-19 Syndrome
Keywords: exercise
exercise therapy
concurrent training
exercise rehabilitation
Long COVID-19
Post-COVID-19 Syndrome
home-based training
Lead sponsor: University of Vienna
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2023-10-10
Enrollment: 20
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 80
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: The current Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is the most severe health crisis of the 21st century. This is not only due to the deaths caused by the disease. People that were affected by COVID-19 and supposedly recovered may suffer from long lasting sequelae. The presence of symptoms longer than 3 months after the infection with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is referred to as Post-COVID-19 Syndrome or Long COVID-19. It is estimated that 10-20 percent of all infected people are affected. The most common symptoms include persistent fatigue, reduced physical capacity, dyspnoea, ageusia, anosmia, musculoskeletal pain and neuropsychological complaints such as depression, anxiety, insomnia and a loss of concentration.

Considering the novelty of the pathology, evidence on the successful treatment of Post-COVID/Long-COVID is scarce. Physical activity has been established as a treatment option for chronic diseases that have similar symptomatic manifestations to those of Post-COVID/Long-COVID. For example, exercise therapy has shown positive effects on the health status of patients with lung disease, depression, anxiety, insomnia and cognitive impairment. However, there has been controversy whether so-called Graded Exercise Therapy (GET) is a safe treatment strategy for patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). This population may experience Post Exertional Malaise (PEM), a worsening of symptoms after physical, cognitive or emotional exertion. Since COVID-19 might be an infectious trigger for CFS, particular caution has to be taken when recruiting participants and when screening them for adverse events and worsening of symptoms during an exercise intervention.

It can be hypothesized that patients suffering from Post-COVID/Long-COVID can benefit from exercise in various ways, guaranteed that there is sufficient screening for PEM before and during the intervention and training volume and intensity are increased slowly and progressively.

The current study investigates the effects of a home-based concurrent training program on various parameters in people affected by Long COVID.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* laboratory-confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2 via PCR a minimum of 12 weeks ago
* presence of at least one or more of persistent symptoms that can be attributed to Long-COVID

Exclusion Criteria:

* previous or current hospitalization due to the COVID-19 disease
* regular engagement in endurance or strength training (more than once per week) in the six months prior to enrollment
* contraindications for physical endurance and resistance exercise according to the guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
* a grade of 3 or higher on the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status Scale (PCFS)
* presence of post exertional malaise (PEM)

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change of peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak measured in ml/min/kg)
timeFrame: at baseline and at 12 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change of maximum lower body isometric muscle strength (measured in N)
timeFrame: at baseline and at 12 weeks
measure: Change of maximum hand grip strength (measured in kg)
timeFrame: at baseline and at 12 weeks
measure: Change of Standard Deviation of RR-Intervals (SDNN measured in ms)
timeFrame: at baseline and at 12 weeks
measure: Change of Root Mean Square of Successive Differences (RMSSD measured in ms)
timeFrame: at baseline and at 12 weeks
measure: Change of health-related quality of life (HQoL) assessed via the SF-36 1.0
timeFrame: at baseline an at 12 weeks
measure: Change of the number of present Long-COVID specific symptoms
timeFrame: at baseline and at 12 weeks
measure: Change of fatigue assessed via the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS)
timeFrame: at baseline and at 12 weeks
measure: Change of dyspnoea assessed via the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnoea scale
timeFrame: at baseline and at 12 weeks
measure: Change of interleukin-6 (IL-6 measured in pg/ml)
timeFrame: at baseline and at 12 weeks
measure: Change of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α measured in pg/ml)
timeFrame: at baseline and at 12 weeks
measure: Change of mean time "correct rejection" (CR, speed during concentrated working measured in s)
timeFrame: at baseline and at 12 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Vienna
country: Austria
facility: Department of Sport and Human Movement Science
Study officials:
References: