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  • York University in Toronto is testing whether taking taurine, a natural supplement, for 12 weeks can improve blood vessel function and ease dizziness or faintness when standing in people with long COVID.
  • It involves two visits to the Keele Campus, 12 weeks apart and about 1.5 hours each, plus a short weekly heart rate recording at home. You receive $70 per visit.
  • Adults 18 to 65 in the Greater Toronto Area who tested positive for COVID-19 and have had long COVID symptoms for more than three months, especially faintness when standing, can contact Dr. Heather Edgell.

New: Long Covid Study

Does taurine supplementation improve vascular function and orthostatic responses in Long COVID?

Learn how taurine supplementation is being tested to relieve Long Covid symptoms, eligibility requirements, and how to contact the research teams to see if you can participate at York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

See If You Qualify to Join the Taurine Study in Toronto.

The study, titled “Does taurine supplementation improve vascular function and orthostatic responses in Long COVID?”, is being conducted by Dr. Heather Edgell and Dr. Andrea Josse at York University’s Keele Campus in Toronto, and has been approved by York University’s Research Ethics Board (Protocol #55). Taurine is a natural substance already made by the body and also found in meat, fish, and dairy, and is known to play a role in regulating blood pressure and inflammation. The purpose of the study is to determine whether taking a taurine supplement for 12 weeks can improve blood vessel function and reduce dizziness or faintness when standing in people with Long COVID.

Click on the image below to view the Study Poster, mobile users Click Here.

Click to View Taurine Study Poster
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About the Taurine Supplementation Study

The taurine study is a clinical trial being conducted at York University's Keele Campus in Toronto. Its primary goal is to test whether taurine, a naturally occurring amino acid found in meat, fish, and dairy, can improve blood vessel function and reduce symptoms like dizziness and faintness upon standing in people with Long COVID. Unlike a new drug, taurine is already widely available as a dietary supplement, but researchers want rigorous evidence on whether restoring taurine levels can meaningfully ease the vascular and orthostatic problems so common in Long COVID.

Read all the information about the Taurine Study Here.

What the Study Involves

Participants are assigned either to a group taking a self administered taurine supplement for 12 weeks or to a control group not taking taurine. The study involves two in lab visits at York University, spaced 12 weeks apart, each lasting about 1.5 hours, and participants are asked to avoid smoking, caffeine, and fatiguing exercise for at least 12 hours beforehand. During each visit, participants complete three brief questionnaires (COMPASS31, Symptom Tracker, and Energy Envelope) and a 3 day diet record, then undergo a resting ultrasound of an artery in the arm, along with heart rate, blood pressure, brain blood flow, and breathing measurements while lying down and during a 5 minute head up tilt test. Between visits, participants use a heart rate monitor supplied by the lab to record five minutes of resting heart rate data weekly, with support from the research team by phone or email, and those in the taurine group keep a daily record of how much they take. Participants receive $50 per visit plus $20 for parking or transportation, for a total of $70 per visit.

Read all the information about the Taurine Study Here.

Why this Matters

COVID-19 has infected millions of people worldwide, and research suggests that about 13% of those infected go on to develop Long COVID, defined by the World Health Organization as symptoms that continue or appear three months after infection and last for at least three months, with no other clear cause. One reason COVID-19 affects the body this way is that the virus enters cells through a protein called ACE2, which lines blood vessels throughout the body, and studies have found that even young, healthy people can have reduced blood vessel function within just a few weeks of infection. These vascular changes can make it harder for the body to maintain blood pressure when standing, which is why dizziness and faintness are such common Long COVID symptoms. Recent research has found that people with Long COVID often have lower than normal taurine levels, and taurine plays a role in regulating both blood pressure and inflammation. When taurine levels return to normal, symptoms have been shown to improve in some cases. Separately, other studies have found that taking taurine for 12 weeks can improve blood pressure and blood vessel health in people with early signs of high blood pressure, improvements that researchers believe could also help with the standing related dizziness common in Long COVID. This study is designed to directly test that link over a 12-week period, and the results will be shared at national and international conferences and published in relevant journals, adding to the broader understanding of how taurine may help those affected.

Read more about the Ethics and information about the Taurine Study Here

and the Ethics Approval Here

Who Can Participate?

The study is recruiting men and women aged 18 to 65 who have previously tested positive for COVID-19 and have experienced Long COVID symptoms for more than three months, particularly feelings of faintness when standing for extended periods. Participants must either already be taking taurine or be about to start taking it, or be eligible to join the control group, which is not taking taurine. Anyone with questions about their eligibility is encouraged to contact the study team at York University directly.

If you are interested in the study and live in the Greater Toronto Area, the information to enrol is:

Toronto (York University, Keele Campus): Contact Dr. Heather Edgell at edgell@yorku.ca or 416-736-2100 ext. 22927

If you have questions about the research in general or about your role in the
study, please feel free to contact Dr. Heather Edgell either by telephone at (416) 736-2100, extension 22927
or by email (edgell@yorku.ca). This research has been reviewed and approved by the Human Participants
Review Sub-Committee, York University’s Ethics Review Board and conforms to the standards of the
Canadian Tri-Council Research Ethics guidelines.

If you have any questions about this process, or about your
rights as a participant in the study, please contact the Manager, Research Ethics in the Office of Research
Ethics, York University (email ore@yorku.ca). This office oversees the ethical conduct of research studies
and is not part of the study team. Everything that you discuss will be kept confidential.

If you or someone you know is struggling with Long COVID, this study offers an opportunity to help determine whether a simple, accessible supplement could ease symptoms, while contributing to research that could help others living with Long COVID. For more information or to see if you’re eligible, contact the study team above. Participation is voluntary, and participants receive $70 per visit to help cover their time and travel.

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