Skeletal Muscle Damage in COVID-19: A Call for Action
Both laboratory investigations and body composition quantification measures (e.g., computed tomography, CT) portray muscle loss in symptomatic Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Muscle loss is associated with a poor prognosis of the disease. The exact mechanism of muscle damage in COVID-1...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Medicina |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/57/4/372 |
| _version_ | 1827695374925561856 |
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| author | Amira Mohammed Ali Hiroshi Kunugi |
| author_facet | Amira Mohammed Ali Hiroshi Kunugi |
| author_sort | Amira Mohammed Ali |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Both laboratory investigations and body composition quantification measures (e.g., computed tomography, CT) portray muscle loss in symptomatic Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Muscle loss is associated with a poor prognosis of the disease. The exact mechanism of muscle damage in COVID-19 patients, as well as the long-term consequences of muscle injury in disease survivors, are unclear. The current review briefly summarizes the literature for mechanisms, assessment measures, and interventions relevant to skeletal muscle insult in COVID-19 patients. Muscle injury is likely to be attributed to the cytokine storm, disease severity, malnutrition, prolonged physical inactivity during intensive care unit (ICU) stays, mechanical ventilation, and myotoxic drugs (e.g., dexamethasone). It has been assessed by imaging and non-imaging techniques (e.g., CT and electromyography), physical performance tests (e.g., six-minute walk test), anthropometric measures (e.g., calf circumference), and biomarkers of muscle dystrophy (e.g., creatine kinase). Interventions directed toward minimizing muscle loss among COVID-19 patients are lacking. However, limited evidence shows that respiratory rehabilitation improves respiratory function, muscle strength, quality of life, and anxiety symptoms in recovering older COVID-19 patients. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation may restore muscle condition in ICU-admitted patients, albeit empirical evidence is needed. Given the contribution of malnutrition to disease severity and muscle damage, providing proper nutritional management for emaciated patients may be one of the key issues to achieve a better prognosis and prevent the after-effects of the disease. Considerable attention to longer-term consequences of muscle injury in recovering COVID-19 patients is necessary. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:24:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ce91d7e09ffa4e9290b3cdcc8edb380f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1010-660X 1648-9144 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:24:28Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medicina |
| spelling | doaj.art-ce91d7e09ffa4e9290b3cdcc8edb380f2023-11-21T15:13:16ZengMDPI AGMedicina1010-660X1648-91442021-04-0157437210.3390/medicina57040372Skeletal Muscle Damage in COVID-19: A Call for ActionAmira Mohammed Ali0Hiroshi Kunugi1Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Mental Health, Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21527, EgyptDepartment of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Teikyo University, Tokyo 173-8605, JapanBoth laboratory investigations and body composition quantification measures (e.g., computed tomography, CT) portray muscle loss in symptomatic Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Muscle loss is associated with a poor prognosis of the disease. The exact mechanism of muscle damage in COVID-19 patients, as well as the long-term consequences of muscle injury in disease survivors, are unclear. The current review briefly summarizes the literature for mechanisms, assessment measures, and interventions relevant to skeletal muscle insult in COVID-19 patients. Muscle injury is likely to be attributed to the cytokine storm, disease severity, malnutrition, prolonged physical inactivity during intensive care unit (ICU) stays, mechanical ventilation, and myotoxic drugs (e.g., dexamethasone). It has been assessed by imaging and non-imaging techniques (e.g., CT and electromyography), physical performance tests (e.g., six-minute walk test), anthropometric measures (e.g., calf circumference), and biomarkers of muscle dystrophy (e.g., creatine kinase). Interventions directed toward minimizing muscle loss among COVID-19 patients are lacking. However, limited evidence shows that respiratory rehabilitation improves respiratory function, muscle strength, quality of life, and anxiety symptoms in recovering older COVID-19 patients. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation may restore muscle condition in ICU-admitted patients, albeit empirical evidence is needed. Given the contribution of malnutrition to disease severity and muscle damage, providing proper nutritional management for emaciated patients may be one of the key issues to achieve a better prognosis and prevent the after-effects of the disease. Considerable attention to longer-term consequences of muscle injury in recovering COVID-19 patients is necessary.https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/57/4/372coronavirus disease 2019COVID-19cytokine stormintensive care unit-acquired weaknessolder adultsaging |
| spellingShingle | Amira Mohammed Ali Hiroshi Kunugi Skeletal Muscle Damage in COVID-19: A Call for Action Medicina coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19 cytokine storm intensive care unit-acquired weakness older adults aging |
| title | Skeletal Muscle Damage in COVID-19: A Call for Action |
| title_full | Skeletal Muscle Damage in COVID-19: A Call for Action |
| title_fullStr | Skeletal Muscle Damage in COVID-19: A Call for Action |
| title_full_unstemmed | Skeletal Muscle Damage in COVID-19: A Call for Action |
| title_short | Skeletal Muscle Damage in COVID-19: A Call for Action |
| title_sort | skeletal muscle damage in covid 19 a call for action |
| topic | coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19 cytokine storm intensive care unit-acquired weakness older adults aging |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/57/4/372 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT amiramohammedali skeletalmuscledamageincovid19acallforaction AT hiroshikunugi skeletalmuscledamageincovid19acallforaction |