ArticleJournal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle2022
Sarcopenia as potential biological substrate of long COVID-19 syndrome: prevalence, clinical features, and risk factors.
Article in Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 48 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence and prognosis of sarcopenia in acute COVID-19 and long COVID: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Annals of medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Prevalence and clinical implications of abnormal body composition phenotypes in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2023Pooled it
- Biomarkers in long COVID-19: A systematic review.Frontiers in medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Early Administration of Bosentan in High-Risk COVID-19 Outpatients at Risk of Sarcopenia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2025Trial
- Mitochondria-Derived Vesicles and Inflammatory Profiles of Adults with Long COVID Supplemented with Red Beetroot Juice: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Trial
- Effects of a symptom-titrated exercise program on fatigue and quality of life in people with post-COVID condition - a randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- Trial
- Research progress on the molecular mechanism and clinical evidence of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in improving sarcopenia.Diabetology & metabolic syndrome · 2026Review
- Musculoskeletal Sequelae of Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: A Systematic Review.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Physical activity during COVID-19 pandemic: A 5-year retrospect.Sports medicine and health science · 2025Review
- Influence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and infection on musculoskeletal function.Scientific reports · 2025Observational
- Risk of poor nutritional status and nutrition-related complaints in individuals attending a primary care dietitian after a COVID-19 infection: A prospective cohort study.Nutrition & dietetics : the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia · 2025Observational
- Can Intermittent Hypoxic Conditioning Enhance the Benefits of Standard Long COVID-19 Rehabilitation?Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2025Article
- Addressing Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome in Cancer Patients, from Visceral Obesity and Myosteatosis to Systemic Inflammation: Implications in Cardio-Onco-Metabolism.Biomedicines · 2024Review
- Diabetes Mellitus, Energy Metabolism, and COVID-19.Endocrine reviews · 2024Review
- The identification of an optimal body size parameter to adjust skeletal muscle area on chest CT in COVID-19 patients.Journal of frailty, sarcopenia and falls · 2024Article
- A blood-based mRNA signature distinguishes people with Long COVID from recovered individuals.Frontiers in immunology · 2024Article
- Post-COVID-19 condition: systemic inflammation and low functional exercise capacity.Frontiers in nutrition · 2024Article
- Advance in the mechanism and clinical research of myalgia in long COVID.American journal of clinical and experimental immunology · 2024Review
- Anti-inflammatory dietary pattern is associated with handgrip strength decline: a prospective cohort study.European journal of nutrition · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
13 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSevere clinical pictures and sequelae of COVID-19 disease are immune mediated and characterized by a 'cytokine storm'. Skeletal muscle has emerged as a potent regulator of immune system function. The aim of the present study is to define the prevalence of sarcopenia among COVID-19 survivors and the negative impact of sarcopenia on the post-acute COVID-19 syndrome and its related risk factors.
methodsA total of 541 subjects recovered from COVID-19 disease were enrolled in the Gemelli Against COVID-19 Post-Acute Care between April 2020 and February 2021. They underwent a multidisciplinary clinical evaluation and muscle strength and physical performance assessment.
resultsMean age was 53.1 years (SD 15.2, range from 18 to 86 years), and 274 (51%) were women. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 19.5%, and it was higher in patients with a longer hospital stay and lower in patients who were more physically active and had higher levels of serum albumin. Patients with sarcopenia had a higher number of persistent symptoms than non-sarcopenic patients (3.8 ± 2.9 vs. 3.2 ± 2.8, respectively; P = 0.06), in particular fatigue, dyspnoea, and joint pain.
conclusionsSarcopenia identified according to the EWGSOP2 criteria is high in patients recovered from COVID-19 acute illness, particularly in those who had experienced the worst clinical picture reporting the persistence of fatigue and dyspnoea. Our data suggest that sarcopenia, through the persistence of inflammation, could be the biological substrate of long COVID-19 syndrome. Physical activity, especially if associated with adequate nutrition, seems to be an important protective factor.
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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 OpenQuestion graph.