Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37529714›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in cardiovascular medicine2023

Antihistamines improve cardiovascular manifestations and other symptoms of long-COVID attributed to mast cell activation.

Fabrizio Salvucci, Roberto Codella, Adriana Coppola, Irene Zacchei, Gabriella Grassi, Maria Luisa Anti, Nicolita Nitisoara, Livio Luzi, Carmine Gazzaruso

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
23citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

23 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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  10. Treatments for Long COVID autonomic dysfunction: a scoping review.Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society · 2025
    Article
  11. Review
  12. Review
  13. COVID-19 vaccines and blood glucose control: Friend or foe?Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics · 2024
    Review
  14. Inflammatory pathways in patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19: The role of the clinical immunologist.Annals of allergy, asthma & immunology : official publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology · 2024
    Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Fabrizio SalvucciInternal Medicine, Clinica Santa Rita del Gruppo Policlinico di Monza, Vercelli, Italy.
Roberto CodellaDepartment of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Adriana CoppolaCentre for Applied Clinical Research (Ce.R.C.A.), Istituto Clinico Beato Matteo, Vigevano, Italy.
Irene ZaccheiCardiovascular and Metabolic Department, Ticinello Cardiovascular and Metabolic Centre, Pavia, Italy.
Gabriella GrassiCardiovascular and Metabolic Department, Ticinello Cardiovascular and Metabolic Centre, Pavia, Italy.
Maria Luisa AntiCardiovascular and Metabolic Department, Ticinello Cardiovascular and Metabolic Centre, Pavia, Italy.
Nicolita NitisoaraInternal Medicine, Clinica Santa Rita del Gruppo Policlinico di Monza, Vercelli, Italy.
Livio LuziDepartment of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Carmine GazzarusoDepartment of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Long-COVID is a broadly defined condition and there are no effective therapies. Cardiovascular manifestations of long-COVID include high heart rate, postural tachycardia, and palpitations. Previous studies have suggested that mast cell activation (MCA) may play a role in the pathophysiology of long-COVID, including in the mechanisms of its cardiovascular manifestations. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment with blockers of histamine receptors in patients with long-COVID who did not respond to other therapies. Methods: In all, 14 patients (F/M = 9/5; 49.5 ± 11.5 years) and 13 controls (F/M = 8/5; 47.3 ± 8.0 years) with long-COVID symptoms attributed to MCA were evaluated. Patients were treated with fexofenadine (180 mg/day) and famotidine (40 mg/day). Fatigue, brain fog, abdominal disorders, and increased heart rate were evaluated in treated and untreated patients at baseline and 20 days later. Results: Long-COVID symptoms disappeared completely in 29% of treated patients. There was a significant improvement in each of the considered symptoms (improved or disappeared) in all treated patients, and the improvement grade was significantly greater in treated patients compared to controls. No significant differences in the outcomes were observed in the controls. Conclusions: Our data confirm that histamine receptors blockade may be an effective target to successfully treat long-COVID. Our finding supports the underlying role of MCA in the pathophysiology of long-COVID.

Indexed as

antihistamineshistamine receptorslong-COVIDmast cell activationtreatment

Identifiers

PMID37529714
PMCPMC10388239

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.