Leitman M, Fuchs S, Tyomkin V, Hadanny A, Zilberman-Itskovich S, Efrati S, et al.
Scientific reports. Date of publication 2023 Jun 10;volume 13(1):9473.
1. Sci Rep. 2023 Jun 10;13(1):9473. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-36570-x.
The effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on myocardial function in post-COVID-19
syndrome patients: a randomized controlled trial.
Leitman M(1)(2), Fuchs S(3)(4), Tyomkin V(3), Hadanny A(5)(4),
Zilberman-Itskovich S(5)(4), Efrati S(5)(4)(6).
Author information:
(1)Department of Cardiology, Shamir Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.
marina.leitman@gmail.com.
(2)Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
marina.leitman@gmail.com.
(3)Department of Cardiology, Shamir Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel.
(4)Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
(5)Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research, Shamir Medical Center,
Zerifin, Israel.
(6)Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Post-COVID-19 condition refers to a range of persisting physical,
neurocognitive, and neuropsychological symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Recent evidence revealed that post-COVID-19 syndrome patients may suffer from
cardiac dysfunction and are at increased risk for a broad range of
cardiovascular disorders. This randomized, sham-control, double-blind trial
evaluated the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on the cardiac function
of post-COVID-19 patients with ongoing symptoms for at least three months after
confirmed infection. Sixty patients were randomized to receive 40 daily HBOT or
sham sessions. They underwent echocardiography at baseline and 1-3 weeks after
the last protocol session. Twenty-nine (48.3%) patients had reduced global
longitudinal strain (GLS) at baseline. Of them, 13 (43.3%) and 16 (53.3%) were
allocated to the sham and HBOT groups, respectively. Compared to the sham group,
GLS significantly increased following HBOT (- 17.8 ± 1.1 to - 20.2 ± 1.0,
p = 0.0001), with a significant group-by-time interaction (p = 0.041). In
conclusion, post-COVID-19 syndrome patients despite normal EF often have
subclinical left ventricular dysfunction that is characterized by mildly reduced
GLS. HBOT promotes left ventricular systolic function recovery in patients
suffering from post COVID-19 condition. Further studies are needed to optimize
patient selection and evaluate long-term outcomes.This study was registered with
ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT04647656 on 01/12/2020.
© 2023. The Author(s).
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36570-x
PMCID: PMC10257166
PMID: 37301934 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no competing interests.
