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Gloeckl R, Zwick RH, Fürlinger U, Schneeberger T, Leitl D, Jarosch I, Behrends U, Scheibenbogen C, Koczulla AR. Practical Recommendations for Exercise Training in Patients with Long COVID with or without Post-exertional Malaise: A Best Practice Proposal. SPORTS MEDICINE - OPEN 2024; 10:47. [PMID: 38658496 PMCID: PMC11043268 DOI: 10.1186/s40798-024-00695-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
People with long COVID may suffer from a wide range of ongoing symptoms including fatigue, exertional dyspnea, reduced exercise performance, and others. In particular, impaired exercise performance is a condition that can be recovered in many people through an individualized physical exercise training program. However, clinical experience has shown that the presence of post-exertional malaise (PEM) is a significant barrier to physical exercise training in people with long COVID. Currently, there is no guideline or consensus available on how to apply exercise training in this cohort. Therefore, we conducted a literature review in the PubMed library using the following search terms: "COVID", "post-COVID", "long COVID" and "exercise" searching for studies from January 2020 to January 2024. Data from 46 trials were included. Exercise training regimes were very heterogeneous and none of these studies reported on the management of PEM in the context of an exercise training program. Based on the feedback from an additional survey that was answered by 14 international experts in the field of exercise training in long COVID, combined with the authors´ own extensive practical experience, a best practice proposal for exercise training recommendations has been developed. This proposal differentiates exercise procedures according to the presence of no, mild/moderate or severe PEM in people with long COVID. These recommendations may guide allied healthcare professionals worldwide in initiating and adjusting exercise training programs for people with long COVID, stratified according to the presence and severity of PEM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer Gloeckl
- Department of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Institute for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research, Schoen Klinik Berchtesgadener Land, Schoenau am Koenigssee, Germany
| | - Ralf H Zwick
- Therme Wien Med, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Fürlinger
- Therme Wien Med, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tessa Schneeberger
- Department of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Institute for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research, Schoen Klinik Berchtesgadener Land, Schoenau am Koenigssee, Germany
| | - Daniela Leitl
- Department of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Institute for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research, Schoen Klinik Berchtesgadener Land, Schoenau am Koenigssee, Germany
| | - Inga Jarosch
- Department of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Institute for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research, Schoen Klinik Berchtesgadener Land, Schoenau am Koenigssee, Germany
| | - Uta Behrends
- Childrens' Hospital, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Berlin, Germany
| | - Carmen Scheibenbogen
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Rembert Koczulla
- Department of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
- Institute for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Research, Schoen Klinik Berchtesgadener Land, Schoenau am Koenigssee, Germany.
- Teaching Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
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Steiner S, Fehrer A, Hoheisel F, Schoening S, Aschenbrenner A, Babel N, Bellmann-Strobl J, Finke C, Fluge Ø, Froehlich L, Goebel A, Grande B, Haas JP, Hohberger B, Jason LA, Komaroff AL, Lacerda E, Liebl M, Maier A, Mella O, Nacul L, Paul F, Prusty BK, Puta C, Riemekasten G, Ries W, Rowe PC, Sawitzki B, Shoenfeld Y, Schultze JL, Seifert M, Sepúlveda N, Sotzny F, Stein E, Stingl M, Ufer F, Veauthier C, Westermeier F, Wirth K, Wolfarth B, Zalewski P, Behrends U, Scheibenbogen C. Understanding, diagnosing, and treating Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome - State of the art: Report of the 2nd international meeting at the Charité Fatigue Center. Autoimmun Rev 2023; 22:103452. [PMID: 37742748 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2023.103452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a devastating disease affecting millions of people worldwide. Due to the 2019 pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), we are facing a significant increase of ME/CFS prevalence. On May 11th to 12th, 2023, the second international ME/CFS conference of the Charité Fatigue Center was held in Berlin, Germany, focusing on pathomechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment. During the two-day conference, more than 100 researchers from various research fields met on-site and over 700 attendees participated online to discuss the state of the art and novel findings in this field. Key topics from the conference included: the role of the immune system, dysfunction of endothelial and autonomic nervous system, and viral reactivation. Furthermore, there were presentations on innovative diagnostic measures and assessments for this complex disease, cutting-edge treatment approaches, and clinical studies. Despite the increased public attention due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the subsequent rise of Long COVID-19 cases, and the rise of funding opportunities to unravel the pathomechanisms underlying ME/CFS, this severe disease remains highly underresearched. Future adequately funded research efforts are needed to further explore the disease etiology and to identify diagnostic markers and targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Steiner
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Annick Fehrer
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Friederike Hoheisel
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany.
| | | | - Anna Aschenbrenner
- Systems Medicine, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Nina Babel
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany; Center for Translational Medicine and Immune Diagnostics Laboratory, Medical Department I, Ruhr-University Bochum, Marien Hospital Herne, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Herne, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany
| | - Judith Bellmann-Strobl
- Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Experimental and Clinical Research Center, A Cooperation Between the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany; NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, and Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carsten Finke
- Department of Neurology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Øystein Fluge
- Department of Oncology and Medical Physics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Laura Froehlich
- Center of Advanced Technology for Assisted Learning and Predictive Analytics (CATALPA), FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany
| | - Andreas Goebel
- Pain Research Institute, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, and Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Johannes-Peter Haas
- Deutsches Zentrum für Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie, Zentrum für Schmerztherapie junger Menschen, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Bettina Hohberger
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Leonard A Jason
- Center for Community Research, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Anthony L Komaroff
- Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eliana Lacerda
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Max Liebl
- Department of Physical Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrea Maier
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Olav Mella
- Department of Oncology and Medical Physics, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Luis Nacul
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Women's Health Research Institute, British Columbia Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Friedemann Paul
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, A Cooperation Between the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany; NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, and Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bhupesh K Prusty
- Institute for Virology and Immunobiology, Julius-Maximilians University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Puta
- Department of Sports Medicine and Health Promotion, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany; Center for Interdisciplinary Prevention of Diseases Related to Professional Activities, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany; Center for Sepsis Control and Care (CSCC), Jena University Hospital/Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Gabriela Riemekasten
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Ries
- Internal Medicine, Department of Nephrology, Diakonissenkrankenhaus, Flensburg, Germany
| | - Peter C Rowe
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Birgit Sawitzki
- Translational Immunology, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) & Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Yehuda Shoenfeld
- Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center, Reichman University Herzelia, Israel
| | - Joachim L Schultze
- Systems Medicine, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Bonn, Germany; Department for Genomics & Immunoregulation, Life and Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; PRECISE Platform for Single Cell Genomics and Epigenomics, DZNE und Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Martina Seifert
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany; Berlin Institute of Health at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany; DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site, 10785 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nuno Sepúlveda
- Department of Mathematics & Information Science, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland.; CEAUL - Centro de Estatística e Aplicações da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Franziska Sotzny
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Elisa Stein
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Stingl
- Department of Neurology, Zentrum Votivpark, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friederike Ufer
- Institute of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Veauthier
- Interdisciplinary Center of Sleep Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Francisco Westermeier
- Institute of Biomedical Science, Department of Health Studies, FH, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences, Graz, Austria; Centro Integrativo de Biología y Química Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Klaus Wirth
- Institute of General Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Bernd Wolfarth
- Department of Sports Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
| | - Pawel Zalewski
- Department of Exercise Physiology and Functional Anatomy, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz Nicolaus Copernicus University Toruń, Toruń, Poland; Department of Experimental and Clinical Physiology, Warsaw Medical University, Stefana Banacha 2a, Warszawa 02-097, Poland
| | - Uta Behrends
- Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Berlin, Germany; AGV Research Unit Gene Vectors, Helmholtz Munich (HMGU), Munich, Germany
| | - Carmen Scheibenbogen
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany
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Sanal-Hayes NEM, Mclaughlin M, Hayes LD, Mair JL, Ormerod J, Carless D, Hilliard N, Meach R, Ingram J, Sculthorpe NF. A scoping review of 'Pacing' for management of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): lessons learned for the long COVID pandemic. J Transl Med 2023; 21:720. [PMID: 37838675 PMCID: PMC10576275 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04587-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Controversy over treatment for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a barrier to appropriate treatment. Energy management or pacing is a prominent coping strategy for people with ME/CFS. Whilst a definitive definition of pacing is not unanimous within the literature or healthcare providers, it typically comprises regulating activity to avoid post exertional malaise (PEM), the worsening of symptoms after an activity. Until now, characteristics of pacing, and the effects on patients' symptoms had not been systematically reviewed. This is problematic as the most common approach to pacing, pacing prescription, and the pooled efficacy of pacing was unknown. Collating evidence may help advise those suffering with similar symptoms, including long COVID, as practitioners would be better informed on methodological approaches to adopt, pacing implementation, and expected outcomes. OBJECTIVES In this scoping review of the literature, we aggregated type of, and outcomes of, pacing in people with ME/CFS. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Original investigations concerning pacing were considered in participants with ME/CFS. SOURCES OF EVIDENCE Six electronic databases (PubMed, Scholar, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials [CENTRAL]) were searched; and websites MEPedia, Action for ME, and ME Action were also searched for grey literature, to fully capture patient surveys not published in academic journals. METHODS A scoping review was conducted. Review selection and characterisation was performed by two independent reviewers using pretested forms. RESULTS Authors reviewed 177 titles and abstracts, resulting in 17 included studies: three randomised control trials (RCTs); one uncontrolled trial; one interventional case series; one retrospective observational study; two prospective observational studies; four cross-sectional observational studies; and five cross-sectional analytical studies. Studies included variable designs, durations, and outcome measures. In terms of pacing administration, studies used educational sessions and diaries for activity monitoring. Eleven studies reported benefits of pacing, four studies reported no effect, and two studies reported a detrimental effect in comparison to the control group. CONCLUSIONS Highly variable study designs and outcome measures, allied to poor to fair methodological quality resulted in heterogenous findings and highlights the requirement for more research examining pacing. Looking to the long COVID pandemic, our results suggest future studies should be RCTs utilising objectively quantified digitised pacing, over a longer duration of examination (i.e. longitudinal studies), using the core outcome set for patient reported outcome measures. Until these are completed, the literature base is insufficient to inform treatment practises for people with ME/CFS and long COVID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilihan E M Sanal-Hayes
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Institute, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, UK
- School of Health and Society, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Marie Mclaughlin
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Institute, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, UK
- School of Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | - Lawrence D Hayes
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Institute, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jacqueline L Mair
- Future Health Technologies, Singapore-ETH Centre, Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore, Singapore.
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Jane Ormerod
- Long COVID Scotland, 12 Kemnay Place, Aberdeen, UK
| | - David Carless
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Institute, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Rachel Meach
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Institute, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, UK
| | - Joanne Ingram
- School of Education and Social Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, UK
| | - Nicholas F Sculthorpe
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Institute, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, UK
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Goldberg NC, Poirier S, Kanas A, McCorkell L, McGinn CA, Re’em Y, Kuehnel K, Muirhead N, Ruschioni T, Taylor-Brown S, Jason LA. A new clinical challenge: supporting patients coping with the long-term effects of COVID-19. FATIGUE : BIOMEDICINE, HEALTH & BEHAVIOR 2022; 10:212-230. [PMID: 38283613 PMCID: PMC10822158 DOI: 10.1080/21641846.2022.2128576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Mental Health Practitioners (MHPs) have a unique opportunity to provide resources and support to those suffering from Long COVID (LC), the post infectious illness that often follows an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. In working with these individuals, MHPs can learn from the experiences of patients with another post-infectious disease known as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). ME/CFS was once thought to be a psychologically mediated disorder caused by deconditioning and the fear of exertion following a precipitating event such as a viral infection. Research now shows that LC and ME/CFS are biomedical, multisystem, complex physiologic diseases. This article provides a framework to MHPs for the treatment of LC patients using knowledge derived from three decades of research on ME/CFS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sabrina Poirier
- Research – Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Other Complex Chronic Illnesses, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Lisa McCorkell
- Patient-Led Research Collaborative, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Carrie Anna McGinn
- Patient Advocate/Patient Partner in Research – Long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Yochai Re’em
- Psychiatrist Specializing in Treating Patients with Long COVID, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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