Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and prevalence of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
Authors' conclusion
Our findings demonstrate a significant increase in the incidence of POTS following the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting a potential association between COVID-19 infection and the development of post-viral POTS. Future research should explore the underlying mechanisms and treatment strategies for POTS in the context of post-COVID recovery.
Study context
- Population
- Patients aged 18 and older across 64 healthcare organizations in the TriNetX databasepatients aged 18 and older across 64 healthcare organizations
- Participants
- 65,141,065 patients
- Comparison
- Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) before and after COVID-19, with 1 March 2020 defined as the cutoff date for pre- and post-COVID analysis
- Outcome
- Incidence rate of POTS
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
pre-COVID
1.42/1000 000
cases per person-year
post-COVID
20.3/1000 000
cases per person-year
P < 0.0001
Further findings
Monthly incidence cases of POTS · significant rise
P < 0.001
Month-to-month prevalence of POTS
- Initial decline after COVID with a robust increase starting January 2023
Prevalence of autonomic nervous system disorders and related comorbidities
- Significantly decreased in the post-COVID cohort
Original publication
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and prevalence of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. Eur Heart J Qual Care Clin Outcomes. Published 7 January 2025. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it