Long COVID has emerged as one of the most perplexing health challenges of our time. It has affected millions of people worldwide, with the debilitating symptoms only getting worse. A groundbreaking study has now looked into why women are more likely to get severe long COVID compared to men.A new study by researchers at the University of Alberta found that women are three times more likely than men to get severe long COVID. Published in Cell Reports Medicine, the researchers also look into the reason behind it.
What is long COVID?
Long COVID is a chronic condition that occurs after SARS-CoV-2 infection and is present for at least three months, according to the CDC. People often show a wide range of symptoms or conditions that may improve, worsen, or be ongoing. People who have had severe COVID-19 have a higher chance of having long COVID.
Long COVID affects women and men differently
The new study reveals key biological differences that may explain why women with long COVID, especially those who develop chronic fatigue syndrome, tend to experience more severe and persistent symptoms than men do.The researchers noted that long COVID, a post-COVID-19 condition, is diagnosed when neurological, respiratory, or gastrointestinal symptoms develop or continue three months or more after an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.They observed that the likelihood of developing long COVID is three times higher for women than for men. However, until now, the underlying biological mechanisms driving this disparity were unknown.The findings of the study are crucial, as they suggest potential targets for treatment that could bring relief to the 3.5 million Canadians who reported having had long COVID as of June 2023, according to Statistics Canada.“We are focusing on a subset of patients with the most devastating symptoms that are very similar to chronic fatigue syndrome. They did not have these symptoms prior to COVID, and most had only mild COVID-19 disease, so they were not hospitalised,” principal investigator Shokrollah Elahi, an immunology professor in the Mike Petryk School of Dentistry, explained.
Why does long COVID affect women more?
To understand why long COVID impacts women more, Elahi’s team carried out blood and genetic tests on 78 patients with long COVID one year after their acute diagnosis. The control group had 62 people who did not develop long COVID after infection with SARS-CoV-2.They were able to identify a distinct immune signature in female compared to male patients after analysing the immune cells, biomarkers in the blood, and RNA sequencing.The researchers found evidence of what is called ‘gut leakiness’ in the female patients. They had elevated blood levels of intestinal fatty acid binding protein, lipopolysaccharide, and the soluble protein CD14 — all of which are signs of gut inflammation that can then trigger further systemic inflammation once they reach the circulatory system.“This suggests that probably at the earliest stage of disease when patients get acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, there is a tendency that the females’ guts are more prone to viral infection,” Elahi explained.The researchers also found that female patients had lower red blood cell production, which led to anaemia. “This suggests that elevated levels of inflammatory factors in females with long COVID adversely affect their blood production,” the researcher added.They also found reduced testosterone levels in affected women and decreased oestrogen levels in male patients, as well as lower cortisol levels in both. The researchers found that women with lower testosterone levels had higher levels of inflammation in their blood. This is because testosterone normally helps control inflammation. Lower testosterone levels were also linked to symptoms such as brain fog, depression, pain, and fatigue. Hormonal imbalances play a vital role in long COVID, particularly in how it affects women, the researchers said.Note: The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new medication or treatment, or before changing your diet or supplement regimen.
