The Long-Term Effect of COVID-19 Infection on Body Composition

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 16; no. 9; p. 1364
• Main Authors: Atieh, Ornina, Durieux, Jared C, Baissary, Jhony, Mouchati, Christian, Labbato, Danielle, Thomas, Alicia, Merheb, Alexander, Ailstock, Kate, Funderburg, Nicholas, McComsey, Grace A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 30.04.2024
• Subjects: Absorptiometry, Photon; Adult; Antibodies; Body Composition; COVID-19; COVID-19 - complications; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 pandemic; Demographics; Diabetes; Enzymes; Exercise; Female; Health aspects; Humans; Infection; Infections; Inflammation; Kinases; long-COVID; Male; Middle Aged; Pandemics; PASC; Physiological aspects; Prospective Studies; Proteins; Questionnaires; Review boards; Sarcopenia; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Ohio; United States > US; COVID-19 pandemic; body composition; PASC; long-COVID
• DOI: 10.3390/nu16091364
• ISSN: 2072-6643

The effect of COVID-19 infection versus the indirect effect of the pandemic on body composition remains unclear. This study investigates the long-term changes in body composition in COVID-19 survivors compared to a contemporary control group. This is a prospective study involving adults who underwent a pre-pandemic whole-body DXA scan (DXA#1) between 2017 and 2019. Participants were asked to return for a repeat whole-body DXA scan (DXA#2) after the pandemic. Detailed data were collected including their medical and COVID-19 history. Inflammation markers and fasting lipids were measured. For those participants who experienced a COVID-19 infection between the two DXAs, DXA#2 was acquired at least one year after COVID-19 infection. Overall, 160 adults were enrolled; 32.5% females, 51.8% non-white, with mean age of 43.2 years. Half ( = 80) of the participants experienced a COVID-19 infection between their two DXA scans (COVID-19+ group), and the other half had never had COVID-19. COVID-19-negative participants displayed an increase in annualized trunk fat (g) [922.5 vs. 159.7; = 0.01], total fat (g) [1564.3 vs. 199.9; = 0.2], and LBM (g) [974.9 vs. -64.5; = 0.0002] when compared to the COVID-19+ group. However, among the COVID-19+ group, no differences were seen in annualized trunk fat, total fat mass, or LBM between those with PASC and without ( > 0.05). During the pandemic, both the COVID-19 survivors and the COVID-19-negative group exhibited increases in weight, total fat, and trunk fat, likely associated with pandemic-linked lifestyle modifications. However, only COVID-19 survivors displayed a decline in lean body mass over the same period, regardless of PASC symptoms.