Active mattresses have been used for decades to prevent, treat and relieve pressure ulcers. However, recent research has found that they may also be useful in helping to treat long COVID. Long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), refers to the ongoing symptoms experienced by some individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. These symptoms can include fatigue, breathlessness, and brain fog, among others.
One of the key mechanisms by which COVID-19 causes long-term damage is through endothelial dysfunction. Endothelial cells line the blood vessels and are responsible for maintaining normal blood flow and preventing the formation of blood clots. COVID-19 can infect and damage these cells, leading to a number of complications such as hypertension, blood clots and inflammation.
A recent study published in the Journal of Tissue Viability, found that vestims mattress use can improve endothelial function by as much as 197%. The study recruited 10 healthy participants, who were assessed at baseline, following eight weeks of sleeping on a Vestims active mattress, and after an eight-week washout period. The study found that after eight weeks of active mattress use, resting blood flow, post-occlusive reactive hyperaemia, and baseline skin temperature at the hallux pulp increased by 336%, 197% and 3.5ºC, respectively.
This suggests that Vestims mattress use may be useful in helping to treat long COVID by improving endothelial function. Unlike many other treatments for long COVID, active mattress use does not require any clinical intervention. All the patient has to do is go to sleep, and the mattress will do the rest.
It is worth noting that the study was conducted on healthy participants and more research is needed to confirm the findings in patients with long COVID. However, these results are promising and suggest that active mattresses may be a simple and effective treatment option for patients with long COVID.
In conclusion, active mattresses may be a simple and effective treatment option for long COVID, as it doesn't require any clinical intervention, patients only have to go to sleep on it.
1. Vascular endothelial function is improved after active mattress use, Journal of Tissue Viability,https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31600104
2. Long COVID: post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, The Lancet, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31796-4/fulltex
3. Oxidative stress-induced endothelial dysfunction and decreased vascular nitric oxide in COVID-19 patients, The Lancet, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(22)00077-9/fulltext