Long Covid may be fueled by inflammation and tiny clots
4 months ago
- #long-covid
- #micro-clots
- #inflammation
- Long COVID affects an estimated 65 million people worldwide, causing prolonged damage to organs like the brain, heart, and blood vessels.
- Symptoms are linked to lingering virus, inflammation, micro-clots, disrupted energy metabolism, auto-immunity, and gut bacteria disruptions.
- Non-drug treatments such as structured rehabilitation, pacing, and breathing exercises can improve quality of life, but unsupervised exercise may worsen inflammation.
- Antivirals like ensitrelvir and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir reduce long COVID risk by about 25% when taken early in infection.
- Medications targeting specific symptoms include low-dose naltrexone for fatigue and β-blockers for postural-tachycardia syndrome.
- Metformin, when started within seven days of infection, lowers long COVID risk by 41% by reducing mTOR signaling.
- Gut microbiome adjustments, supplements like vitamins C and D, and mitochondrial support (e.g., coenzyme Q10) show potential benefits.
- Experimental biologics, such as fibrinogen-targeting antibodies and BC007 aptamer, are in early trials for neuro-inflammation and fatigue.
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and acupuncture have shown promise in improving cognition, sleep, and pain.
- Vaccination reduces long COVID risk by 15-41% after breakthrough infections, but outcomes for existing long COVID patients post-booster are mixed.
- Large, biomarker-based trials are urgently needed to validate treatments, with current strategies focusing on personalized, multi-system approaches.