Table 2.
Participant characteristics, hemodynamics, and symptoms in male vs female patients with PASC
| Characteristic | Female patients with PASC (n = 56) | Male patients with PASC (n = 14) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 42 (40, 47) | 50 (31, 63) | 0.577 |
| Height, cm | 167 (163, 168) | 179 (172, 183) | < 0.001 |
| Weight, kg | 72 (67, 83) | 89 (78, 109) | 0.015 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 26.3 (23.7, 29.1) | 27.9 (26.1, 33.6) | 0.322 |
| BSA, m2 | 1.84 (1.77, 1.92) | 2.1 (2.0, 2.33) | 0.004 |
| Race | 0.060 | ||
| Caucasians | 52 (92.8%) | 12 (85.8%) | |
| South Asians | 2 (3.6%) | 0 (0%) | |
| West Asians | 0 (0%) | 1 (7.1%) | |
| Indigenous Canadian | 0 (0%) | 1 (7.1%) | |
| ≥ 1 race | 2 (3.6%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Duration since initial COVID infection, days | 427 (357, 461) | 324 (285, 475) | 0.083 |
| Hospitalized with COVID-19 infection | 6 (10.7%) | 3 (4.3%) | 0.284 |
| Autonomic function testing | |||
| Sympathetic nerve integrity (total sweat volumes) | |||
| Forearm, μL | 0.47 (0.37, 0.59) | 1.08 (0.28, 1.84) | 0.01 |
| Proximal leg, μL | 0.38 (0.27, 0.55) | 0.72 (0.10, 1.41) | 0.093 |
| Distal leg, μL | 0.48 (0.38, 0.57) | 0.75 (0, 1.77) | 0.277 |
| Foot, μL | 0.39 (0.28, 0.50) | 1.18 (0, 2.04) | 0.028 |
| Cardiovagal function | |||
| ΔHRDB (bpm) | 15 (12, 18) | 14 (11, 24) | 0.489 |
| VR | 1.82 (1.67, 1.94) | 1.73 (1.38, 2.11) | 0.146 |
| CASS | |||
| Overall CASS | 1 (1, 2) | 2 (1, 3) | 0.468 |
| Sudomotor | 0 (0, 0) | 0 (0, 2) | 0.245 |
| Cardiovagal | 0 (0, 0) | 0 (0, 1) | 0.972 |
| Adrenergic | 1 (1, 1) | 1 (0, 1) | 0.960 |
| Autonomic symptom assessment | |||
| COMPASS-31 domains | |||
| Orthostatic intolerance | 20 (16, 24) | 16 (0, 20) | 0.163 |
| Vasomotor | 0 (0, 0) | 0 (0, 0) | 0.172 |
| Secretomotor | 6.43 (4.29, 6.43) | 5.36 (2.14, 6.43) | 0.468 |
| Gastrointestinal | 8.04 (7.14, 9.82) | 4.91 (3.57, 10.7) | 0.032 |
| Bladder | 1.11 (0, 1.11) | 0 (0, 2.22) | 0.742 |
| Pupillomotor | 2.33 (2.0, 2.67) | 1.83 (0.67, 2.67) | 0.065 |
| Total | 37 (32, 40) | 28 (12, 40) | 0.083 |
| PASC symptoms | |||
| Lightheadedness | 45 (80%) | 10 (71%) | 0.466 |
| Shortness of breath | 40 (73%) | 11 (79%) | 0.657 |
| Palpitations | 43 (77%) | 6 (43%) | 0.013 |
| Fatigue | 53 (95%) | 11 (79%) | 0.055 |
| Headache | 37 (67%) | 4 (29%) | 0.008 |
| Loss or change in taste | 20 (37%) | 1 (7.1%) | 0.031 |
| Constipation | 19 (35%) | 1 (7.1%) | 0.044 |
| Problems with sleeping | 43 (78%) | 8 (62%) | 0.213 |
Values are expressed as median (95% CI). P values were generated from Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables and
Fisher's exact test for categorical variables.
BMI, body mass index; BSA, body surface area; CASS, Composite Autonomic Severity Score; COMPASS-31, Composite Autonomic Symptom Score; CI, confidence interval; ΔHRDB, delta heart rate in deep breathing; PASC, post-acute sequelae of COVID-19; VR, Valsalva ratio.