Assessment of hemodynamic changes in high school students following COVID-19 infection: a crosssectional study

Objective: To assess hemodynamic changes in high school students during the McArdle step test following COVID-19 infection. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved high school students aged 14 to 17 years, divided into two groups: those previously infected with COVID-19 (CV-19) and a control group (CG). Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), and oxygen saturation (SaO₂) were monitored. Participants also performed a stair-climbing test, consisting of climbing and descending stairs for 3 minutes. Results: Twenty-four volunteers participated—12 in the CV-19 group (mean age 17.0 ± 0.0 years) and 12 in the CG group (mean age 16.5 ± 0.7 years). Regarding the measured variables, resting HR (CV-19 vs. CG) was 67.5 ± 3.5 vs. 72.5 ± 0.7 bpm (p = 0.548); post-test HR was 93 ± 19.7 vs. 115 ± 16.9 bpm (p = 0.229). Baseline SBP was 102 ± 9.8 vs. 122 ± 16.9 mmHg (p = 0.570); post-test SBP was 123 ± 14.1 vs. 138 ± 21.2 mmHg (p = 0.092). Baseline DBP was 58 ± 0.0 vs. 71 ± 16.5 mmHg (p = 0.417); post-test DBP was 69 ± 2.8 vs. 76 ± 13.8 mmHg (p = 0.429). Baseline SaO₂ was 94.5 ± 3.5% in both groups (p = 0.859); post-test SaO₂ was 96 ± 1.4 vs. 96.5 ± 0.7% (p = 0.889). Conclusion: Although the results of this pilot study suggest that COVID-19 infection did not significantly affect blood pressure, heart rate, or oxygen saturation responses in high school students, it is important to note that the small sample size (12 participants per group) limits the statistical power of the analysis. Therefore, the findings should be interpreted with caution, and studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these results.