New research published in the Nature Cardiovascular Research journal has linked postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS for short) with COVID-19 infection.
The study confirms the connection between the two diseases, which had been observed by many cardiologists, including Aneesh Tolat, MD, a cardiac electrophysiologist with the Hartford HealthCare Heart & Vascular Institute.
Dr. Tolat explains POTS and its potential link to COVID.
> Connect with the Heart & Vascular Institute
POTS affects a part of the nervous system that regulates involuntary functions like heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion and sexual arousal. It is typically more common in women between the ages of 15 and 50.
Symptoms of the disease include:
Treatment for those with POTS is largely self-care such as increasing fluid intake, blood pressure medication, IV fluids and compression stockings, says Dr. Tolat.
> Related: Is There a Link Between COVID-19 and Atrial Fibrillation?
The researchers analyzed data on close to 300,000 patients in California who received one dose of COVID vaccine or had the virus. Most of those vaccinated received a Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccine.
They discovered a small increase in POTS after vaccination, specifically dose one, but determined the risk was five times greater for those infected with COVID. This underscores the value of vaccine, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently credited with keeping more than 18.5 million people in the U.S. out of the hospital and saving more than 3.2 million lives.
“The message is clear. More people who were unvaccinated and got COVID got POTS,” Dr. Tolat says.
POTS can be challenging to diagnose because it shares symptoms with a number of other health conditions, including dehydration. Until this point, doctors had no clear reason to connect it with COVID.
“Inflammation is likely a factor, but the exact cause for POTS is unknown,” he explains, adding that inflammation might also be the link between the condition and COVID vaccination, as noted by the research.
If you notice any symptoms of POTS, speak with your primary care doctor.
The Heart & Vascular Institute is a national leader in heart disease prevention, treatment, surgery and research. Our Cardiovascular Data Management Center provides comprehensive and continuous quality improvement information, and allows us to compare our patient outcomes to state and national benchmarks.
Choose Your Subscriptions
100 Pearl Street, Hartford, CT 06103
About Hartford HealthCare: With 33,000 colleagues and total operating revenue of $4.9 billion, Hartford HealthCare leverages its unified culture to enhance access, affordability, equity and expertise. Its care-delivery system — with more than 400 locations serving 185 towns and cities — includes two tertiary-level teaching hospitals, an acute-care community teaching hospital, an acute-care hospital and trauma center, three community hospitals, the state’s most extensive behavioral health network, a large multispecialty physician group, a clinical care organization, a regional home care system, Connecticut’s largest array of senior care services, and a comprehensive physical therapy and rehabilitation network. On average, Hartford HealthCare touches more than 17,000 lives every single day. The unique, system-wide Institute Model offers a unified high standard of care in crucial specialties at hospital and ambulatory sites across Connecticut. The institutes include: Cancer, Heart and Vascular, Ayer Neuroscience, Orthopedics and Tallwood Urology. Visit Hartford HealthCare at www.HartfordHealthCare.org
Terms | Privacy
