Bizarre Syndrome on the Rise—Causes Revealed

This article originally appeared on The Epoch Times and was republished with permission.

Guest post by George Citroner

For the estimated 1 million to 3 million Americans living with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), standing up can trigger a racing heartbeat, lightheadedness, and fainting that’s relieved only by sitting or lying down.

However, a new clinical trial offers a glimmer of hope for those desperate for relief. Researchers may have uncovered a novel, nonpharmaceutical way to manage this debilitating syndrome on the rise nationwide.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Vaccines Contribute to Uptick in POTS

POTS cases notably rose following the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine rollout, both of which are known to impact heart health. Some evidence suggests that 2 percent to 14 percent of COVID-19 survivors are later diagnosed with POTS.

A December 2022 study in Nature Cardiovascular Research found links between COVID-19, mRNA vaccines, and POTS. It revealed COVID-19 patients are five times more likely to develop POTS down the road than those who got POTS after vaccination.

“Our results identify a possible association between COVID-19 vaccination and incidence of POTS,” the authors wrote. “Notwithstanding the probable low incidence of POTS after COVID-19 vaccination, particularly when compared to SARS-Cov-2 post-infection odds.”

A March 2023 review of studies also suggested a “significant percentage” of COVID-19 patients developed POTS within six to eight months of infection, though the exact mechanisms connecting the two remain unclear.

Nerve Stimulation Benefits POTS Patients

Led by Dr. Stavros Stavrakis of the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, a new clinical trial published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology explored whether stimulating the vagus nerve—a key part of the parasympathetic nervous system—could relieve POTS symptoms.

The vagus nerve starts in the brain, passes through the heart and lungs, and ends in the intestines. This nerve controls functions such as digestion, breathing, and heart rate. Targeting it could address a major POTS symptom: rapid heartbeat upon standing.

For the trial, 26 participants were randomly assigned to receive either electrical stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve via an ear clip device or a placebo treatment for one hour daily over two months. Using double-blind methods, neither researchers nor participants knew who received the actual stimulation.

Those treated with vagus nerve stimulation had a significant 15-beat-per-minute reduction in rapid heartbeat after standing compared to the control group.

The benefits also included a decrease in adrenaline surge and systemic inflammation, both of which are associated with the condition, Dr. Stavrakis told The Epoch Times. There was evidence that it reduced autoantibodies linked to POTS, “at least for some patients,” he noted.

“I would say these results are promising, and we need more studies, obviously, but they are exciting results and we have a mechanistic explanation [of] why it worked, which makes it more valuable,” he said.

Read the full story at The Epoch Times.