Sex hormones could be key to treating long COVID
A new study by a prominent team of researchers from the Yale School of Medicine and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has found that women with long COVID had significantly lower levels of testosterone compared to those who had recovered from their infection. That difference seems to driving certain symptoms female patients experience more often and more severely than male patients, such as headaches, hair loss, muscle pain and memory issues.
Low testosterone in women was also associated with elevated levels of distinct immune cells, as well as signs that dormant viruses had been reactivated. While the researchers found that men with long COVID had lower levels of estradiol (indicative of low testosterone), their symptoms were less burdensome and different immune cells were activated.
The findings make clear that hormones deserve much more attention as scientists search for answers to why and how this often-debilitating condition manifests.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-sex-hormones-key-covid.html
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