Table 1 Characteristics of the study groups
(A) PAT study group | ME/CFS (n = 14) | PCS (n = 16) | HC (n = 15) | p value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Age, median (range) [years] | 44.5 (24–59) | 42 (27–66) | 43 (23–58) | 0.9491 |
Female sex, n (%) | 12 (86) | 15 (94) | 13 (87) | 0.7539 |
Months after COVID infection, median (range) | 9 (8–11) | 9 (4–12) | NA | 0.3602 |
Heart rate, median (range) [bpm] | 68.5 (51–78) | 69.5 (53–89) | 69 (46–84) | 0.7381 |
Systolic blood pressure, median (range) [mmHg] | 120 (99–148) | 124.5 (100–169) | 126 (105–147) | 0.6693 |
Diastolic blood pressure, median (range) [mmHg] | 88.5 (64–106) | 87.5 (64–114) | 91 (77–116) | 0.7095 |
Body Mass Index (BMI), median (range) | 23.78 (20.24–31.83 | 23.64 (19.36–32.18) | NA | 0.6116 |
PEM score median (range) | 33.5 (17–46) | 22 (16–34) | NA | 0.0065 |
Chalder Fatigue Scale median (range) | 26.5 (20–33) | 25.5 (15–32) | NA | 0.4509 |
Bell Disability Scale median (range) | 40 (30–80) | 50 (40–80) | NA | 0.3123 |
(B) Validation study group | ME/CFS (n = 26) | PCS (n = 30) | HC (n = 50) | PCHC (n = 20) | p value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age, median (range) [years] | 46.5 (21–62) | 37 (20–62) | 38 (19–65) | 36.5 (23–56) | 0.1650 |
Female sex, n (%) | 23 (88) | 21 (68) | 35 (70) | 14 (70) | 0.2696 |
Months after COVID infection, median (range) | 8 (6–16) | 8 (6–15) | NA | 6 (5–8) |  < 0.0001 |
PEM score median (range) | 36 (20–46) | 24.5 (1–42) | NA | NA |  < 0.0001 |
Chalder Fatigue Scale median (range) | 29 (18–33) | 24 (15–32) | NA | NA | 0.0003 |
Bell Disability Scale median (range) | 30 (20–60) | 50 (30–90) | NA | NA | 0.0010 |