Sympathetic Activation: a Potential Link Between Comorbidities and COVID-19

Overview

Journal FEBS J

Specialty Biochemistry

Date 2020 Aug 12

PMID 32779891

Citations 67

Authors

Andrea Porzionato

Aron Emmi

Silvia Barbon

Rafael Boscolo-Berto

Carla Stecco

Elena Stocco

Veronica Macchi

Raffaele De Caro

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), higher morbidity and mortality are associated with age, male gender, and comorbidities, such as chronic lung diseases, cardiovascular pathologies, hypertension, kidney diseases, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. All of the above conditions are characterized by increased sympathetic discharge, which may exert significant detrimental effects on COVID-19 patients, through actions on the lungs, heart, blood vessels, kidneys, metabolism, and/or immune system. Furthermore, COVID-19 may also increase sympathetic discharge, through changes in blood gases (chronic intermittent hypoxia, hyperpnea), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)1/ACE2 imbalance, immune/inflammatory factors, or emotional distress. Nevertheless, the potential role of the sympathetic nervous system has not yet been considered in the pathophysiology of COVID-19. In our opinion, sympathetic overactivation could represent a so-far undervalued mechanism for a vicious circle between COVID-19 and comorbidities.

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