The long-term effects of Covid could be diminished by opting for healthier behaviors

He long covidknown as the post-COVID-19 syndromeson the long-term residual effects of the disease, which can last up to four weeks (or even months) from the initial picture of the infection. The symptoms can be fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, among others.

Some of these conditions last for weeks or months. This could be a product of a underlying disease such as thyroid problem, diabetes, etc. Based on these conditions, a group of scientists from Harvard University sought to determine a person’s risk of long-term symptoms.

Research findings on the long-term effects of the coronavirus

The research was published in JAMA Internal Medicine. There, data was collected from 32,000 nurses from the Nurses’ Health Study. This national study of the United States includes information on the behaviors and lifestyles of a group of people, with the objective of determining the development of a disease. The indices considered for the study were body mass, number of cigarettes, type of diet, exercise and sleep.

The study participants reported their lifestyle habits between 2015 and 2017. Also information about their medical history during their Covid infection from April 2020 to November 2021. The investigation found that at that time, 1,900 nurses were sick and the 44% of them had symptoms of prolonged Covid.

‘Brain fog’: what is known about the most common symptom of long Covid

Those nurses who have between five and six healthy lifestyle habits they are 49% less likely to develop long-term conditions of the disease. This number of healthy behaviors, along with a healthy weight and getting enough sleep (about seven to nine hours a day), were the ones that most reduced the risk of prolonged Covid.

The researchers concluded that less healthy lifestyle habits increase chronic inflammation and dysregulation of the immune system. These factors exacerbate the possibility of long-term Covid symptoms.

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