Title:Post-COVID-19 Pulmonary Hypertension: How it May Physiologically
Affect Exercise Training
Volume: 18
Issue: 3
Author(s): Natiara Mohamad Hashim*, Muhammad Amin Ibrahim, Fatimah Ahmedy, Khairul Shafiq Ibrahim, Wan Najwa Wan Mohd Zohdi and Nor Faridah Ahmad Roslan
Affiliation:
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
Keywords:
Post-COVID-19, exercise training, pulmonary hypertension, lung function, severe acute respiratory coronavirus, anxiety.
Abstract: Exercise training is paramount in improving aerobic capacity, lung function, reducing the
symptoms of dyspnea, and reconditioning the lean skeletal muscles. Many literature and guidelines
have advocated the importance of exercise intervention in addressing the secondary impairment to
post covid-19 infection, including home-based therapy and telerehabilitation. Pulmonary hypertension
(PH) was previously thought to be contraindicated by exercise training; however, exercise was
later found to be beneficial and relatively safe in chronic PH. However, there is a lack of highquality
evidence on the safety and effectiveness of exercise training in post-COVID-19 infected individuals
with PH. Pulmonary hypertension has been documented to be one of the post-COVID-19
complications. PH occurred due to COVID-19 infection should be carefully considered before subjecting
them to exercise training, especially in home-based therapy. This article aims to discuss the
differing etiological factor, pathophysiological backgrounds, and the possible disease long-term
outcomes that may compromise the safety of exercise training in post-COVID-19 patients complicated
with PH. By understanding the risk of developing PH, risk assessment and stratification can
be explicitly outlined for a safe exercise prescription through proper patient selections. Any possible
complications can be anticipated; hence, proper preventive strategies can be instituted.