- The heart failure drug Ivabradine did not significantly improve symptoms for people with Long COVID and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), according to preliminary results that RECOVER researchers recently shared at a conference. In the randomized controlled trial, which has not yet been published, 181 participants received the drug or a placebo for three months. “Participants who received coordinated care in addition to ivabradine did report an improvement in their symptoms compared to those who received ivabradine and usual care,” according to a press release from RECOVER. The drug did help lower heart rate, but didn’t lead to a noticeable improvement of symptoms. We’ll share updates on the study when the full paper is published.
- Another study has found that injecting the autoantibodies from people with Long COVID into mice causes “pain-like behavior” in the animals. The authors concluded that autoantibodies, or rogue proteins that attack the body, may contribute to the development of the disease. The study was published in Cell Reports Medicine and included 34 participants with Long COVID and 15 controls. The researchers redid the experiment using samples from some of the original participants with Long COVID two years later, and found similar results.. The researchers also grouped participants into three subtypes of Long COVID, based on specific plasma measures. “Our findings could open avenues for precision immunotherapy in Long COVID,” the authors wrote.
- A clinical trial testing the fibrinolytic enzyme lumbrokinase is now offering a decentralized option, meaning participants can participate from home. People with Long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), and post-treatment Lyme disease can partake in the trial from all 50 states in the U.S. Researchers aim to enroll 120 participants, who will take the supplement for six weeks to see if it helps with symptoms of the diseases. Study contact: David Putrino, CoreResearch@mountsinai.org.
