ArticleScientific reports2026
A single bout of submaximal aerobic functional capacity test acutely promotes endothelial function in long COVID patients.
Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Persistent endothelial dysfunction is associated with exercise intolerance in adults despite preserved myocardial work 3 years after SARS-CoV-2 infection.Physiological reports · 2026Article
- Exercise and Cardiovascular Risk Modulation in Post-COVID Syndrome.Current atherosclerosis reports · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Persistent symptoms and vascular impairment are common among individuals recovering from COVID-19, yet little is known about acute interventions capable of improving endothelial function in this group. Submaximal functional tests, such as the six-minute step test (6MST), provoke marked cardiovascular activation and may provide a brief stimulus for vascular adaptation. This study examined whether performing a single 6MST session could trigger an immediate enhancement in brachial artery endothelial function in adults with long COVID. Forty-seven participants, symptomatic long COVID individuals and healthy controls, underwent evaluations of respiratory function, fatigue, dyspnoea, habitual physical activity, and functional capacity. Cardiorespiratory responses during the 6MST were measured with a portable metabolic system, and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery was assessed before exercise and 10–15 min afterward. At baseline, the long COVID group demonstrated greater adiposity, a higher burden of comorbidities, reduced functional capacity, lower peak V̇O2, and attenuated FMD relative to controls. A single bout of submaximal test acutely improves brachial artery endothelial function in individuals with persistent symptoms following COVID-19. These participants also displayed reduced functional capacity and peak VO2, greater diastolic blood pressure response, and increased lower limb fatigue during the test. Although VO2 peak showed a modest association with the FMD% response in univariate analysis, this relationship did not persist after adjustment for confounders, indicating that the acute vascular improvement was not independently determined by cardiorespiratory fitness.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.