Adelaide University study links Long COVID to POTS

Research conducted by Adelaide University and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute suggests a strong link between Long COVID and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that 62.5% of Long COVID participants met the diagnostic criteria for POTS.

During the study, which included participants with Long COVID, POTS, and healthy volunteers, researchers measured heart rate responses to standing. Participants in the POTS group saw an average heart rate increase of 46 beats per minute, while the Long COVID group averaged an increase of 35 beats per minute. In comparison, healthy volunteers averaged an increase of only 13 beats per minute.

Lead researcher Dr. Marie-Claire Seeley noted the striking similarities between the two groups. The findings may assist clinicians in better diagnosing and treating the autonomic symptoms—such as dizziness, fatigue, brain fog, and racing heart—often experienced by those with Long COVID. POTS affects the autonomic nervous system, which regulates involuntary functions like breathing, digestion, and heart rate.