(Press-News.org) An unusual case of a Long Covid patient’s legs turning blue after 10 minutes of standing highlights the need for greater awareness of this symptom among people with the condition, according to new research published in the Lancet.
The paper, authored by Dr Manoj Sivan at the University of Leeds, focuses on the case of one 33-year man who developed with acrocyanosis – venous pooling of blood in the legs.
A minute after standing, the patient’s legs began to redden and became increasingly blue over time, with veins becoming more prominent. After 10 minutes the colour was much more pronounced, with the patient describing a heavy, itchy sensation in his legs. His original colour returned two minutes after he returned to a non-standing position.
The patient said he had started to experience the discolouration since his COVID-19 infection. He was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition that causes an abnormal increase in heart rate on standing.
Dr Sivan, Associate Clinical Professor and Honorary Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine in the University of Leeds’ School of Medicine, said: “This was a striking case of acrocyanosis in a patient who had not experienced it before his COVID-19 infection.
"Patients experiencing this may not be aware that it can be a symptom of Long Covid and dysautonomia and may feel concerned about what they are seeing. Similarly, clinicians may not be aware of the link between acrocyanosis and Long Covid.
“We need to ensure that there is more awareness of dysautonomia in Long Covid so that clinicians have the tools they need to manage patients appropriately.”
Long Covid affects multiple systems in the body and has an array of symptoms, affecting patients’ ability to perform daily activities. The condition also affects the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for regulating blood pressure and heart rate.
Acrocyanosis has previously been observed in children with dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (dysautonomia), a common symptom of post-viral syndromes.
Previous research by Dr Sivan’s team has shown that both dysautonomia and POTS frequently develop in people with Long Covid.
Dysautonomia is also seen in a number of other long-term conditions such as Fibromyalgia and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or ME.
Dr Sivan said: “We need more awareness about dysautonomia in long term conditions; more effective assessment and management approaches, and further research into the syndrome. This will enable both patients and clinicians to better manage these conditions.”
The research is the latest work by the team in the field of autonomic medicine. Other developments include a home test for people with symptoms of autonomic dysfunction in conditions such as long COVID, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and diabetes 1 and 2, where people experience dizziness or blackouts.
Further information
“Venous insufficiency and acrocyanosis in long COVID: dysautonomia” is published in The Lancet on 10 August 2023.
Picture credit: University of Leeds
The case study requested anonymity therefore is not available for interview. However, Dr Manoj Sivan is available for interview.
Email University of Leeds press officer Lauren Ballinger on l.ballinger@leeds.ac.uk with media enquiries.
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK, with more than 38,000 students from more than 150 different countries. We are renowned globally for the quality of our teaching and research.
We are a values-driven university, and we harness our expertise in research and education to help shape a better future for humanity, working through collaboration to tackle inequalities, achieve societal impact and drive change.
The University is a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities, and plays a significant role in the Turing, Rosalind Franklin and Royce Institutes. www.leeds.ac.uk
Follow University of Leeds or tag us in to coverage: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram
END
Raising awareness of Long Covid ‘blue legs’ symptom
2023-08-12
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
For labrum tears, regrowth rather than repair
2023-08-12
Tears to the glenoid labrum—cartilage tissue that lines the shoulder where the arm joins—can be repaired with arthroscopic surgery, which significantly weakens the joint and involves a lengthy recovery.
Liping Tang, a bioengineering professor at The University of Texas at Arlington, is developing a new method to repair labrum tears that would enable the body to regenerate tissue to completely reattach the sides of the tear. He recently received a five-year, $2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases for the research, which would improve the current standard of care ...
Call for papers: Special theme issue: Artificial intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT in Asian and Pacific Islander (API) health
2023-08-11
Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal (APINJ) Editor-in-Chief: Hyochol (Brian) Ahn, PhD, MSN, MS-ECE, MS-CTS, APRN, ANP-BC, FAAN and guest editor Shu-Fen Wung, Ph.D., RN, ACNP-BC, FAAN welcome submissions to a special theme issue examining "Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT in Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Health."
Generative AI, like ChatGPT, can have many applications in health care and medicine, particularly in addressing the unique needs and challenges faced by API communities. Potential topics related to the use of generative AI in health care and nursing care specific to API health that we ...
SLU ethicists, leading scholars publish guidance for parents, physicians making medical decisions for children
2023-08-11
ST. LOUIS – How should others make decisions for pediatric patients?
For decades, there has been debate in academic literature about the ethical principles that govern medical decision-making for children. In response to this, a group of leading scholars in pediatric ethics participated in a June 2022 symposium, “Best Interests and Beyond: Standards of Decision Making in Pediatrics,” at Saint Louis University. Over the course of three days, the 17 scholars debated one question – in the context of U.S. pediatric care, what moral precepts ought to guide parents and clinicians in medical decision-making for children?
A group of ...
Hundred-year storms? That's how long they last on Saturn.
2023-08-11
The largest storm in the solar system, a 10,000-mile-wide anticyclone called the Great Red Spot, has decorated Jupiter's surface for hundreds of years.
A new study now shows that Saturn — though much blander and less colorful than Jupiter — also has long-lasting megastorms with impacts deep in the atmosphere that persist for centuries.
The study was conducted by astronomers from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, who looked at radio emissions from the planet, which come from below the surface, and found long-term disruptions in the distribution ...
New concussion headset shows when it's safe to return to play
2023-08-11
A new digital headset designed to measure alterations in brain function could change decisions about how quickly an athlete is ready to return to play after a concussion. In an evaluation of the device, UC San Francisco researchers found it revealed brain changes even in athletes whose concussion symptoms had gone away, suggesting they could be playing too soon.
Although not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the device could fill an important niche among athletes, clinicians, trainers and coaches, who are concerned about the long-term effects of repeated sports-related concussions. These include chronic traumatic encephalopathy, ...
CORRECTION: Outdoor air pollution may increase non-lung cancer risk in older adults
2023-08-11
*This press release was amended on August 9, 2023. Due to a mistake in interpretation of data, the previous version of the release stated the study found that NO2 exposure is associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer. The authors have confirmed that the results showed that NO2 exposure is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
Key points:
A cohort study of millions of Medicare beneficiaries found that chronic exposures to PM2.5 and NO2 over a 10-year period increased the risk of developing colorectal and prostate cancers.
Even in areas with low pollution levels, researchers found substantial associations between exposures to ...
Zhong named Institute of Food Technologists fellow
2023-08-11
Qixin Zhong, professor in the University of Tennessee Department of Food Science, has been named an Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Fellow.
The honor was bestowed as a result of Zhong’s years of contribution to food science and to IFT through his scientific, engineering and leadership efforts. In his research enhancing food quality, safety and healthfulness, Zhong creates multilength scale structures to improve the function of food ingredients. His cutting-edge innovations and research developments have impacted countless producers and consumers.
Zhong says he is honored to be named a Fellow, and ...
University of Tennessee extension wins “Employer of the Year” from international organization
2023-08-11
Ask just about any person in the University of Tennessee Extension family what they like about their job, and they might mention the impact they have in their communities and the people they help. Long thought of as a career where you can realize a calling for service, an international organization now confirms what many employees have believed for some time – that UT Extension is a great place to work.
The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) has named UT Extension as its 2023 Employer of the Year. This ...
Interdisciplinary team studies decomposition effects on soil
2023-08-11
Forensic researchers at the University of Tennessee Knoxville’s famous Anthropological Research Facility, popularly known as the “Body Farm,” have made headlines for decades in their discoveries of what happens to human bodies after death. Now, a multidisciplinary team—engineers, soil scientists, and biologists—digs in with them for a deeper look at what happens to the soil underneath a decomposing body. Their study, “Soil Elemental Changes During Human Decomposition,” published in June 2023 by PLOS One, could benefit investigators searching for human remains in remote or hard-to access-vegetated areas.
“This ...
Arrays of quantum rods could enhance TVs or virtual reality devices
2023-08-11
Cambridge, MA – Flat screen TVs that incorporate quantum dots are now commercially available, but it has been more difficult to create arrays of their elongated cousins, quantum rods, for commercial devices. Quantum rods can control both the polarization and color of light, to generate 3D images for virtual reality devices.
Using scaffolds made of folded DNA, MIT engineers have come up with a new way to precisely assemble arrays of quantum rods. By depositing quantum rods onto a DNA scaffold in a highly controlled way, the researchers can regulate their orientation, which is a key factor in determining the polarization of light emitted by the array. This makes it easier ...