Acute Muscle Mass Loss Predicts Long-Term Fatigue, Myalgia, and Health Care Costs in COVID-19 Survivors.
J Am Med Dir Assoc
; 24(1): 10-16, 2023 01.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2122568
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
We examined the impact of loss of skeletal muscle mass in post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospital readmission rate, self-perception of health, and health care costs in a cohort of COVID-19 survivors.DESIGN:
Prospective observational study. SETTING ANDPARTICIPANTS:
Tertiary Clinical Hospital. Eighty COVID-19 survivors age 59 ± 14 years were prospectively assessed.METHODS:
Handgrip strength and vastus lateralis muscle cross-sectional area were evaluated at hospital admission, discharge, and 6 months after discharge. Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 were evaluated 6 months after discharge (main outcome). Also, health care costs, hospital readmission rate, and self-perception of health were evaluated 2 and 6 months after hospital discharge. To examine whether the magnitude of muscle mass loss impacts the outcomes, we ranked patients according to relative vastus lateralis muscle cross-sectional area reduction during hospital stay into either "high muscle loss" (-18 ± 11%) or "low muscle loss" (-4 ± 2%) group, based on median values.RESULTS:
High muscle loss group showed greater prevalence of fatigue (76% vs 46%, P = .0337) and myalgia (66% vs 36%, P = .0388), and lower muscle mass (-8% vs 3%, P < .0001) than low muscle loss group 6 months after discharge. No between-group difference was observed for hospital readmission and self-perceived health (P > .05). High muscle loss group demonstrated greater total COVID-19-related health care costs 2 ($77,283.87 vs. $3057.14, P = .0223, respectively) and 6 months ($90,001.35 vs $12, 913.27, P = .0210, respectively) after discharge vs low muscle loss group. Muscle mass loss was shown to be a predictor of total COVID-19-related health care costs at 2 (adjusted ß = $10, 070.81, P < .0001) and 6 months after discharge (adjusted ß = $9885.63, P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS COVID-19 survivors experiencing high muscle mass loss during hospital stay fail to fully recover muscle health. In addition, greater muscle loss was associated with a higher frequency of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 and greater total COVID-19-related health care costs 2 and 6 months after discharge. Altogether, these data suggest that the loss of muscle mass resulting from COVID-19 hospitalization may incur in an economical burden to health care systems.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Aged
/
Humans
/
Middle aged
Language:
English
Journal:
J Am Med Dir Assoc
Journal subject:
History of Medicine
/
Medicine
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
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