Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of Journal of Nuclear Medicine. https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.124.268980 Dr. Maria Giovanna Trivieri et al.
Points
- In a cohort of 98 long COVID patients with persistent symptoms, 90% showed abnormal dual-energy CT findings, including pulmonary infiltrates in 67% and abnormal perfusion in 59%.
- PET/MRI scans revealed cardiac abnormalities in 57% of patients, with myocarditis in 24%, pericardial issues in 22%, and vascular inflammation in 30%.
- Cognitive testing showed that 236 individuals were impaired, and 2.1% were newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or related dementias within 90 days.
- Plasma protein differences between patients and controls suggest biomarkers may help evaluate inflammation and guide long COVID clinical assessment.
- The study highlights the need for ongoing monitoring and individualized care strategies to prevent worsening cardiopulmonary health in long COVID patients.
Summary
This study aimed to assess the prevalence of inflammatory cardiopulmonary findings in patients with long coronavirus disease (LC) and to explore their association with persistent symptoms and future cardiopulmonary conditions. The cohort consisted of 98 patients (median age 48.5 years, 47% men) with persistent cardiopulmonary symptoms 9-12 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Using advanced imaging techniques, including dual-energy CT (DECT) and 18F-FDG PET/MRI, the study found that 90% of patients exhibited abnormal DECT results, with 67% showing pulmonary infiltrates and 59% showing abnormal perfusion. PET/MRI scans revealed cardiac abnormalities in 57% of patients, with 24% showing myocardial involvement indicative of myocarditis, 22% exhibiting pericardial involvement, and 30% demonstrating vascular inflammation.
Among the cohort, 236 patients were categorized as impaired based on the Digital Cognitive Assessment (DCA), with 2.1% receiving a new diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) within 90 days. Additionally, significant differences in plasma protein concentrations were observed between LC patients and the control group, which could further support the utility of plasma biomarkers in assessing long COVID patients. The high prevalence of cardiopulmonary abnormalities in this cohort highlights the need for ongoing monitoring and early intervention in this population.
The study underscores the importance of advanced imaging and plasma biomarker analysis for detecting underlying inflammation and structural abnormalities in long COVID patients. These findings provide new insights into the potential long-term cardiovascular and pulmonary risks faced by individuals recovering from COVID-19 and emphasize the need for tailored healthcare strategies to monitor and mitigate these risks in affected populations. Given the prevalence of symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pain, early detection and intervention could improve patient outcomes and prevent the progression of cardiopulmonary diseases associated with long COVID.
Link to the article: https://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/early/2025/04/30/jnumed.124.268980
References Trivieri, M. G., Devesa, A., Robson, P. M., Bose, S., Cangut, B., Liao, S., Kaufman, A., Pyzik, R., Fauveau, V., Wood, J., Shpiner, A., Yoo, E., Huang, S., Calcagno, C., Mani, V., Thapi, S., Contreras, J., Nie, K., Kim-Schulze, S., … Fayad, Z. A. (2025). Prevalence of persistent cardiovascular and pulmonary abnormalities on pet/mri and dect imaging in long covid patients. Journal of Nuclear Medicine. https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.124.268980
