R3 Seminar Recap: Sex Differences in Long COVID
RECOVER researchers shared study findings that suggest women are at a higher risk than men of developing Long COVID.
During the March 11th RECOVER Research Review (R3) Seminar, RECOVER researchers shared findings from a recent study that examined how a person’s sex may affect their risk of developing Long COVID. Dimpy Shah, MD, PhD (University of Texas Health Science Center) presented results from the study, and Nora Singer, MD (Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center) shared background about RECOVER’s adult observational study population and ideas for future research in this area.
Watch the R3 recording below or on YouTube
Dr. Shah summarized findings from the study, which was recently published in JAMA Network Open. The study, which was conducted using data from 12,276 adults participating in RECOVER’s adult observational study, was the first to examine how sex impacts Long COVID risk while considering other known Long COVID risk factors. She described how researchers used statistical methods to account for other factors that may also impact a person’s risk of developing Long COVID. These include baseline risk factors, such as age, race, and ethnicity, as well as clinical risk factors, such as the severity of a person’s SARS-CoV-2 infection (the virus that causes COVID-19) and which COVID variant was most common at the time of their infection.
Researchers split study participants into groups based on their sex and their age. Among women participating in the study, researchers also explored whether menopause would impact their Long COVID risk. The study found that:
Overall, women had a higher proportion of Long COVID when compared to men (21% of women, compared to 16% of men).
Women who developed Long COVID often experienced different clusters of symptoms than men with Long COVID did.
Women between the ages of 18 and 39 did not experience a higher risk of developing Long COVID than men in the same age group.
Women between the ages of 40 and 54 were found to have the highest risk of developing Long COVID when considering only sex and age.
Women in the 40 to 54 age group who had not been through menopause had a significantly higher risk for developing Long COVID compared to men, while women in this age group who had been through menopause did not have a higher risk. Dr. Shah explained that this could be because menopause has an impact on Long COVID risk or because this subgroup included fewer people to study.
The presentation concluded with Dr. Singer’s presentation of discussion points from the study and a Q&A with the audience. Dr. Singer noted that the study was a crucial first step in identifying biological mechanisms of Long COVID and understanding whether the condition impacts men and women differently. Better understanding of these differences can support development of targeted treatments and improved management of post-infection illnesses.
Dr. Singer also shared ideas for additional research in this area. In the future, researchers could:
Explore how different hormonal therapies, such as hormonal contraception or hormone replacement therapy, impact women’s risk for developing Long COVID.
Understand how sex hormones interact with immediate immune responses after an infection such as SARS-CoV-2.
Describe people’s underlying metabolic profiles (a routine blood test that provides information on the body’s metabolism and overall health) and comorbidities (the presence of two or more medical conditions at the same time).
Identify whether there are sex-specific interventions (actions to improve or maintain health) that can prevent the onset of Long COVID.
Develop personalized Long COVID treatments for people of different ages and sexes.
To find recordings and transcripts of more R3 seminars, visit the RECOVER YouTube channel and the R3 webpage.