Muscle strength is associated with COVID‐19 hospitalization in adults 50 years of age or older

Abstract

Background Weak muscle strength has been associated with a wide range of adverse health outcomes. Yet, whether individuals with weaker muscle strength are more at risk for hospitalization due to severe COVID‐19 is still unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the independent association between muscle strength and COVID‐19 hospitalization. Methods Data from adults 50 years of age or older were analysed using logistic models adjusted for several chronic conditions, body‐mass index, age, and sex. Hand‐grip strength was repeatedly measured between 2004 and 2017 using a handheld dynamometer. COVID‐19 hospitalization during the lockdown was self‐reported in summer 2020 and was used as an indicator of COVID‐19 severity. Results The study was based on the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and included 3600 older adults (68.8 ± 8.8 years, 2044 female), among whom 316 were tested positive for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (8.8%), and 83 (2.3%) were hospitalized due to COVID‐19. Results showed that higher grip strength was associated with a lower risk of COVID‐19 hospitalization [adjusted odds ratio (OR) per increase of 1 standard deviation in grip strength = 0.64, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.45–0.87, P = 0.015]. Results also showed that age (OR for a 10 ‐year period = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.32–2.20, P < 0.001) and obesity (OR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.00–3.69, P = 0.025) were associated with higher risk of COVID‐19 hospitalization. Sensitivity analyses using different measurements of grip strength as well as robustness analyses based on rare‐events logistic regression and a different sample of participants (i.e. COVID‐19 patients) were consistent with the main results. Conclusions Muscle strength is an independent risk factor for COVID‐19 severity in adults 50 years of age or older.

Physical Activity and Well-Being during the Second COVID19-Related Lockdown in Germany in 2021

“…A recent review of prospective cohort studies found epidemiologic evidence that musclestrengthening activities might contribute to reducing the risk of major chronic diseases [28], and even small-to-moderate increases might bring measurable public health benefits [29]. Muscle strength has been shown to be associated with a lower risk to be hospitalized because of COVID-19 in older adults even after adjusting for established risk factors for severe COVID-19 [30]. Prevalence of muscle-strengthening activities is, generally speaking, lower than that of endurance activities [31].…”

Effectiveness of Facebook Remote Live-Streaming-Guided Exercise for Improving the Functional Fitness of Community-Dwelling Older Adults

“…In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have implemented policies for social distancing and varying degrees of quarantine or isolation at home ( 13 ). Such strategies have had unintended negative effects on the functional fitness of older adults ( 33 , 34 ) due to decreased physical activity and increased sedentary behavior ( 14 , 15 ). Therefore, based on the results of this study, we propose that live-streaming home-based exercise programs may be an effective alternative method for increasing the functional fitness of community-dwelling older adults during the pandemic.…”

Cytokines and Chemokines in Cancer Cachexia and Its Long-Term Impact on COVID-19

“…Gil et al assessed 196 hospitalized patients for vastus lateralis cross-sectional area using ultrasonography and concluded that low muscle mass contributes to higher skeleton muscle loss among COVID-19 patients due to increased demands of tissues such as liver and immune cells [90]. Those patients with weak muscle strength are more vulnerable to stress factors, which could be the case of COVID-19 [91,92]. Other studies have found that with COVID-19 treatment, 43% of study participants lost ≥5% of their body weight, and 25% of participants lost ≥10% of their body weight.…”