Visceral to subcutaneous fat ratio predicts short-term mortality in patients with Covid 19. A multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of body composition parameters with outcomes in Covid-19. METHODS: 173 patients hospitalized for Covid-19 infection in 6 European centers were included in this retrospective study. Measurements were performed at L3-level and comprised skeletal muscle index (SMI), muscle density (MD), and adipose tissue measurements [visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT), visceral-to-subcutaneous-adipose-tissue-area-ratio (VSR)]. The association with mortality, the need for intubation (MV), and the need for admission to ICU within 30 days were evaluated. RESULTS: Higher SAT density was associated with a greater risk of MV (OR = 1.071, 95%CI=(1.034;1.110), p < 0.001). Higher VAT density was associated with admission to ICU (OR = 1.068, 95%CI=(1.029;1.109), p < 0.001). Higher MD was a protective factor for MV and ICU admission (OR = 0.914, 95%CI=(0.870;0.960), p < 0.001; OR = 0.882, 95%CI=(0.832;0.934), p = 0.028). Higher VSR was associated with mortality (OR = 2.147, 95%CI=(1.022;4.512), p = 0.044). Male sex showed the strongest influence on the risk of ICU admission and MV. SMI was not associated with either parameter. CONCLUSION: In patients hospitalized for Covid-19 infection, higher VSR seems to be a strong prognostic factor of short-term mortality. Weak associations with clinical course were found for MD and adipose tissue measurements. Male sex was the strongest prognostic factor of adverse clinical course. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: VSR is a prognostic biomarker for 30-day mortality in patients hospitalized for Covid-19 disease.

Evaluation of the Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic Among Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Objective: The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to be a concern, especially to people with chronic diseases across the entire world. During this pandemic, we undertook an investigation to assess how the disease state and medical treatments of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are affecting the IBD patients, their risky perceptions, as well as the frequency and course of COVID-19. Methods: During the pandemic, the information on the course of the disease, medical treatment status of the patients with IBD, and the course of the disease in IBD patients who had COVID-19 were collected via telephonic interview. Results: A total of 102 IBD patients, including 62 with ulcerative colitis and 40 with Crohn's disease were included in the study. Of these, 52.9% of the patients believed that having IBD was a risk for COVID-19. During the pandemic, 18.6% of the patients did not take their medication regularly for various reasons. Of all, 64.28% of the patients with active disease could not go to the hospital to avoid the risk of acquiring COVID-19 and 4.90% acquired COVID-19. Conclusion: During the pandemic, both the regular consumption of medicines and the reservations regarding admission to hospitals affect the course of IBD. Therefore, the development of strategic action plans to support and manage changes experienced during the course of this disease is expected to facilitate the management of the disease process in a healthier way for both the physicians and the patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of European Archives of Medical Research is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)