Prevalence and Clinical Impact of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome in Highly Symptomatic Long COVID
Authors' conclusion
In this cohort of predominantly younger women with highly symptomatic long COVID, POTS is common and presents with overlapping symptoms between POTS and non-POTS patients. Long COVID POTS confers lower physical activity and capacity compared with non-POTS long COVID and should be systematically assessed in this condition.
Study context
- Population
- Nonhospitalized, highly symptomatic (sick leave ≥50%) patients with long COVID
- Participants
- 467 participants
- Exposure
- Those diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and the remaining long COVID patients
- POTSn = 143
- Did not fulfill POTS criterian = 128
- No clinical signs of POTSn = 196
- Outcome
- Diagnosis of POTS
- Follow-up
- Median of 12 months after acute COVID-19
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Age
6-minute walk distance
| Outcome | POTS | Did not fulfill POTS criteria | No clinical signs of POTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female sex | 91% | Not reported in the abstract | Not reported in the abstract | did not fulfill POTS criteria, no clinical signs of POTS: not reported in the abstract |
- Age — P
- P ≤0.001
- 6-minute walk distance — P
- P ≤0.001
Physical activity (Frändin-Grimby scale)
- Significantly lower physical activity in POTS compared with the other 2 groups
- P = 0.001
Heart rate during 6-minute walk test
- Significantly higher in the POTS group, both during walking and at rest afterward
Distribution of symptoms
- No significant differences between the groups
Original publication
Prevalence and Clinical Impact of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome in Highly Symptomatic Long COVID. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. Published 30 September 2025. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it