17/12/2025
Researchers at University of Minnesota and Baylor University recently published a new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) finding that Long COVID patients experience autonomic dysfunction similar to people with pure autonomic failure, a severe neurodegenerative type of dysautonomia typically seen in older adults. Read the abstract at: https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.09.1608
This is quite different from another article that recently published in JACC, from Harvard/Mass General and UT Southwestern researchers, which claimed there was little to no autonomic dysfunction in Long COVID patients: https://www.jacc.org/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.04.038
We've been monitoring research from around the world that documents the rate of autonomic dysfunction in Long COVID, and while there are some differences amongst centers, most studies are finding POTS in about 30% of Long COVID patients, and other manifestations of dysautonomia in another 40% of Long COVID patients - for a total of about 70% of Long COVID patients having some form of dysautonomia.
It's important for people with Long COVID to know if they have dysautonomia contributing to their symptoms, because there are a wide range of treatments available that can help mitigate symptoms caused by autonomic dysfunction. Dysautonomia can cause symptoms like lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting, profound fatigue, cognitive impairment, headaches, swallowing problems and other GI dysmotiity, bladder dysfunction, palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, an internal shaking/tremulous feeling, sleep difficulties, feeling "wired but tired," sweating abnormalities, pupil dysfunction, dry eyes/mouth/skin, and more. The autonomic nervous system also regulates immune function, coagulation, connective tissue synthesis and repair, hormones, glucose metabolism, and blood volume, amongst other systems.
We continue to meet patients who are being told "there's nothing we can do for Long COVID." If your doctor has said that to you... find a better doctor! Our regional support groups are a great place to find doctor recommendations from other local patients: dysautonomiainternational.org/support
