Evidence mapPaperPMID 35868478Full record

ArticlePharmacological research2022

Combining L-Arginine with vitamin C improves long-COVID symptoms: The LINCOLN Survey.

Raffaele Izzo, Valentina Trimarco, Pasquale Mone, Teresita Aloè, Massimo Capra Marzani, Antonio Diana, Giovanni Fazio, Mario Mallardo, Mauro Maniscalco, Giuseppe Marazzi and 11 more

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pharmacological research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
56citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
11.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

56 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 92 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pathophysiological Mechanisms in Long COVID: A Mixed Method Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024
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  12. Interventions for Long COVID: A Narrative Review.Journal of general internal medicine · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors at 12 institutions in 2 countries.

Raffaele IzzoDepartment of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
Valentina TrimarcoDepartment of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
Pasquale MoneDepartment of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Teresita AloèSan Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy.
Massimo Capra MarzaniAlessandria Hospital, Alessandria, Italy.
Antonio DianaAversa Hospital, Aversa, Caserta, Italy.
Giovanni FazioPalermo Hospital, Palermo, Italy.
Mario Mallardo"San Gennaro" Hospital, Naples, Italy.
Mauro ManiscalcoIstituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Telese Terme, Italy.
Giuseppe MarazziSan Raffaele Hospital, Rome, Italy.
Nunzia MessinaASL Napoli 1, Naples, Italy.
Simone MininniAssociazione Scientifica Interdisciplinare Aggiornamento Medico (ASIAM), Florence, Italy.
Chiara MussiDepartment of Biomedical and Metabolic Sciences and Neuroscience, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Girolamo PelaiaDepartment of Health Science, Magna Graecia University, Catanzaro, Italy.
Alfio PennisiCatania Hospital, Catania, Italy.
Pierachille Santus"Luigi Sacco" University Hospital, Milan, Italy.
Francesco ScarpelliTrani Hospital, Trani, BT, Italy.
Francesco TursiCodogno Hospital, ASST Lodi, Lodi, Italy.
Alessandro ZanforlinHealth Authority of South Tyrol, Bolzano, Italy.
Gaetano SantulliDepartment of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy; Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: gsantulli001@gmail.com.
Bruno TrimarcoDepartment of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy.
Federico II University Hospital · ITAlbert Einstein College of Medicine · USAzienda Sanitaria Locale Alessandria · ITAziende Socio Sanitarie Territoriale LodiIstituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri · ITLuigi Sacco Hospital · ITMagna Graecia University · ITOspedale di Bolzano · ITOspedale Policlinico San Martino · ITOspedale S.Gennaro · ITUniversity of Modena and Reggio Emilia · ITUniversity of Palermo · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionRecent evidence suggests that oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction play critical roles in the pathophysiology of COVID-19 and Long-COVID. We hypothesized that a supplementation combining L-Arginine (to improve endothelial function) and Vitamin C (to reduce oxidation) could have favorable effects on Long-COVID symptoms.

methodsWe designed a survey (LINCOLN: L-Arginine and Vitamin C improves Long-COVID), assessing several symptoms that have been associated with Long-COVID to be administered nationwide to COVID-19 survivors; the survey also included effort perception, measured using the Borg scale. Patients receiving the survey were divided in two groups, with a 2:1 ratio: the first group included patients that received L-Arginine + Vitamin C, whereas the second group received a multivitamin combination (alternative treatment).

results1390 patients successfully completed the survey. Following a 30-day treatment in both groups, the survey revealed that patients in the L-Arginine + Vitamin C treatment arm had significantly lower scores compared to patients who had received the multivitamin combination. There were no other significant differences between the two groups. When examining effort perception, we observed a significantly lower value (p < 0.0001) in patients receiving L-Arginine + Vitamin C compared to the alternative-treatment arm.

conclusionsOur survey indicates that the supplementation with L-Arginine + Vitamin C has beneficial effects in Long-COVID, in terms of attenuating its typical symptoms and improving effort perception.

Indexed as

Ascorbic AcidCOVID-19COVID-19 Drug TreatmentArginineHumansPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeVitaminsArginineAscorbic AcidVitaminsAscorbic acidCOVID-19Endothelial dysfunctionL-ArginineLong-COVIDOxidative stressSurvey

Identifiers

PMID35868478
PMCPMC9295384
OpenAlexW4286249795

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.