Evaluation of sarcopenia, clinical frailty and functional status in elderly patients affected by COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction: The elderly can develop sarcopenia during the aging process. Elderly people who have been affected by the COVID-19 disease have a compromised neuromuscular system, which can lead to a functional limitation. Therefore, knowing the pattern of sarcopenia and the possible functional repercussions is important in planning the goals of a rehabilitation program for elderly people affected by COVID-19. Methods: A transversal study was carried out with 35 elderly people over 65 years of age treated at the post-COVID-19 rehabilitation clinic and 31 matched controls. Participants completed the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) algorithm, which includes the use of the Strength, Assistance walking, Rise from a chair, Climb stairs, and Falls (SARC-F) screening instrument, muscle strength measures, functional performance and bone densitometry. Clinical vulnerability was assessed using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Functional status was assessed using the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status Scale. Outcome measures were compared between the two groups. Results: The groups were homogeneous in terms of age, height and body mass. The proportion of probable sarcopenia in the COVID-19 group was 74.3%, while in the control group it was 45.7% (p = 0.015). Patients with a history of COVID-19 and matched controls had similar characteristics in aspects related to sarcopenia. There was a greater impairment of clinical vulnerability (p < 0.007) between the COVID-19 group and the control group.
It was observed that the sit and stand test showed statistical significance both in the clinical representation and in the confirmed form of sarcopenia. Conclusion: Patients with a history of COVID-19 had a higher risk of developing clinical sarcopenia compared to the control group. The presence of greater functional impairment and a greater degree of clinical vulnerability in the studied population was also identified. The EWGSOP sarcopenia assessment instrument identified that “the sit and stand test” presented a statistically significant difference in relation to the control both for the clinical condition of sarcopenia and in the identification by DEXA.