Changes Simple lifestyle changes, like getting enough sleep, could prevent persistent Covid-19 symptoms. This has been seen in a study conducted by the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health carried out on more than 32,000 women.
According to the work published in “JAMA Internal Medicine”, the women who followed a healthy lifestyleincluding having an adequate body weight, not smoking, regular exercise, adequate sleep, a high-quality diet, and moderate alcohol consumption, had about half the risk of persistent Covid-19 compared to those who did not follow this healthy lifestyle .
“With the continuing waves of coronavirus, persistent Covid-19 has created a serious burden on public health. Our findings raise the possibility that the adoption of healthier behaviors may reduce the risk of developing persistent Covid-19,” says Andrea Roberts, lead author of the study.
Persistent Covid-19 is defined as the presence of symptoms four weeks or more after initial infection by SARS-CoV-2. The symptoms can include fatigue, fever, and various respiratory, cardiac, neurological, and digestive symptoms.
The researchers analyzed data from more than 32,000 nurses from the Nurses’ Health Study II, who reported their lifestyle in 2015 and 2017 and reported a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection between April 2020 and November 2021.
During that time, more than 1,900 participants contracted Covid-19. Among them, 44% developed persistent Covid-19. Compared to women without any healthy lifestyle factors, those with five or six had a 49% lower risk of persistent Covid-19.
Among the six lifestyle factors, maintaining a weight healthy body size and getting enough sleep (between seven and nine hours a day) were most associated with a lower risk of persistent Covid-19. The results also showed that, even among women who developed persistent Covid-19, those who had a healthier lifestyle before infection had a 30% lower risk of having symptoms that interfered with their daily lives.
The authors noted that one possible explanation for the associations they observed is that, based on previous research, an unhealthy lifestyle is associated with an increased risk of Chronic inflamation and immune dysregulation, which have been linked to increased risk of persistent Covid-19.
In the United States, for example, 70% of the population does not have a healthy body weight and 30% does not get enough sleep.
“In recent decades, scientists have accumulated evidence that a healthy lifestyle is good for overall health. However, in the United States, for example, 70% of the population does not have a healthy body weight and the 30% don’t get enough sleep. The results of this study suggest that simple lifestyle changes, such as getting enough sleep, may be beneficial for the prevention of persistent Covid-19,” said Siwen Wang, lead author.