Thanks to advances in treatment options, a COVID-19 diagnosis is no longer as scary as it once was, at least for most people. A new study, however, suggests that it may now be easier to predict who is most likely to suffer with more serious disease symptoms based on leukocyte (white blood cell) count. Results of the study are published online today in Menopause , the journal of The Menopause Society.
Millions of people worldwide suffer from the ongoing effects of COVID-19-which is caused by the SARs-CoV-2 virus-even months after the initial diagnosis. Cognitive impairment and fatigue are the most common lingering symptoms, with cognitive impairment affecting 70% of patients. Older adults-especially women-are the most at risk.
Although healthcare professionals know a lot more about COVD-19 than they did at the start of the pandemic in 2020, there are still many lingering questions regarding its effect on the human body. Although it is primarily a respiratory disease, sustained effects on multiple organ systems have been documented. Previous studies have shown an excessive immune response to a COVID-19 infection.
Researchers in this latest study, based on secondary analysis of data from the Women's Health Initiative, sought to better understand preexisting risk factors that may make certain adults-especially older postmenopausal women-more vulnerable to more serious ongoing symptoms. Specifically, they examined whether leukocyte count (a widely available clinical marker of syst.