The effect of pre-existing sarcopenia on outcomes of critically ill patients treated for COVID-19

Variables	Patients with sarcopenian =54	Patients without sarcopenia n = 50	Total n = 104	p
Age, years	69.1 (+/−1)	63.9 (+/−13.4)	66.6(+/−12.4)	0.032
Male, n (%)	42 (77.8)	26 (52)	68 (65.4)	0.006

Comorbidities
Respiratory, n (%)	17 (31.5)	21 (42)	38 (36.5)	0.266
Cardiac, n (%)	19 (35.2)	25 (50)	44 (42.3)	0.127
Renal, n (%)	3 (5.6)	4 (8)	7 (6.7)	0.619
Diabetes, n (%)	18 (33.3)	19 (38)	37 (35.6)	0.619
BMI, kg/m²	27 (+/− 4.9)	32.71 (+/−6.7)	29.8 (+/−6.5)	<0.001

CT-Scan variables
Lung damage, n (%):
Mild (<25%)	17 (31.5)	15 (30)	32 (30.8)	0.795
Moderate (25–50%)	29 (53.7)	24 (48)	53 (51)
Severe (50–75%)	7 (13)	9 (18)	16 (15.4)
Very severe (>75%)	1 (1.9)	2 (4)	3 (2.9)
Pulmonary embolism, n (%)	4 (7.4)	1 (2)	5 (4.8)	0.198

Scores
SAPS II	36.2 (+/−12.8)	28.8 (+/−9.2)	32.6 (+/−11.7)	0.001
SOFA	3.4 (+/−2.1)	2.6 (+/−1.7)	2.9 (+/−1.9)	0.084

Biological parameters on ICU admission
Lymphocytes, G/L	0.9 (+/−0.9)	1.1 (+/− 1.4)	1.0 (+/−1.2)	0.298
Albumin, g/L	29.2 (+/−4.9)	29.5 (+/−3.3)	29.3(+/−4.4)	0.859

Outcomes
Mortality, n (%)	6 (11.1)	4 (8)	10 (9.6)	0,421
Pneumonia, n (%)	1 (1.9)	1 (2)	2 (1.9)	0.733
HFO duration, days	6.8 (+/−4.4)	5 (+/− 2.9)	5.9 (+/−3.8)	0.005
ICU LOS, days	8.2 (+/− 5)	6.3 (+/− 3.1)	7.3 (+/− 4.3)	0.019
Hospital LOS, days	21.8 (+/− 17.6)	17.1 (+/− 14.2)	19.3 (+/−16.1)	0.143

Patients characteristics and outcomes_

Variables	Patients with sarcopenia n=75	Patients without sarcopenia n = 75	Total n = 150	p
Age, years	69.6 (+/−10)	64.6 (+/−12.1)	67.1 (+/−11.4)	0.006
Male, n (%)	59 (78)	41 (41)	100 (66.7)	0.002

Comorbidities
Respiratory, n (%)	25 (33)	26 (34.7)	51 (34)	0.863
Cardiac, n (%)	29 (38.7)	39 (52)	68 (45.3)	0.101
Renal, n (%)	6 (8)	10 (13)	16 (10.7)	0.290
Diabetes, n (%)	23 (30.7)	29 (38.7)	52 (34.7)	0.303
Obesity^**, n (%)	19 (26)	50 (66.7)	69 (46.6)	<0.001
BMI, kg/m²	27.3 (+/−4.7)	33.1 (+/−6.6)	30.3 (+/−6.4)	<0.001

CT scan variables
Lung damage, n (%):
Mild (<25%)	21 (28)	21 (28)	42 (28)	0.050
Moderate (25–50%)	42 (56)	30 (40)	72 (48)
Severe (>50%)	12 (16)	24 (32)	36 (24)
Pulmonary embolism, n (%)	5 (6.8)	1 (1.3)	6 (4)	0.102
SMA, cm²	70.5 (+/− 16.6)	93.1 (+/−23.7)	83.3 (+/−23.8)	<0.001
SMI, cm²/m²	23.4 (+/− 4.5)	32.7 (+/−6.9)	28.8 (+/−7.5)	<0.001

Scores
SAPS II	36.1 (+/−14.7)	33.7 (+/−12.1)	34.9 (+/−13.5)	0.267
SOFA	5.4 (+/−8.1)	3.6 (+/−2.9)	4.34 (+/−5.8)	0.089

Biological parameters on ICU admission
Lymphocytes, G/L	0.84 (+/−0.83)	1.11 (+/− 1.22)	0.97 (+/−1.04)	0.112
Albumin, g/L	27.5 (+/−4.8)	29 (+/−5.3)	28.1 (+/−5.1)	0.266
CRP, mg/L	144.7 (+/− 116.2)	119.5 (+/− 89.3)	131.9 (+/−103.8)	0.155
D-Dimers, μg/L	1889.1 (+/−1632.6)	1291.42 (+/1311.5)	1598.5 (+/1508.5)	0.038
Fibrinogen, mmol/L	6.4 (+/−1.5)	6.9 (+/−1.6)	6.5 (+/−1.6)	0.624

Outcomes
Mortality, n (%)	12 (16)	10 (13.3)	22 (14.7)	0.644
Pneumonia, n (%)	15 (20)	22 (29.3)	37 (24.7)	0.185
MV, n (%)	21 (28)	23 (37.3)	44 (29.3)	0.110
HFO duration, days	5.8 (+/−4.6)	4.0 (+/− 3)	4.9 (+/− 4)	0.005
MV duration, days	6.9 (+/− 9)	9.6 (+/− 12.1)	8.5 (+/−10.9)	0.233
ICU LOS, days	12.1 (+/− 9.7)	13.1 (+/− 12.2)	12.6 (+/− 11)	0.575
Hospital LOS, days	26.9 (+/− 22.8)	24.6 (+/− 20.6)	25.8 (+/− 21.7)	0.509

Effect of sarcopenia in obese patients

Variables	Obese patients with sarcopenia n =19	Obese patients without sarcopenia n = 50	Total n = 69	p
Age, years	69.8 (+/−10.5)	63.17 (+/−12.8)	65 (+/−12.5)	0.048
Male, n (%)	14 (73.7)	28 (56)	32 (60.9)	0.179

Comorbidities
Respiratory, n (%)	9 (47.4)	22 (44.0)	31 (44.9)	0.802
Cardiac, n (%)	8 (42.1)	27 (54)	35 (50.7)	0.377
Renal, n (%)	3 (15.8)	10 (20)	13 (18.8)	0.689
Diabetes, n (%)	8 (42.1)	24 (48)	32 (46.4)	0.661
BMI, kg/m²	33.2 (+/− 4.5)	36.3 (+/−5.7)	35.5 (+/−5.6)	0.036

CT scan variables
SMA, cm²	66.4 (+/− 12.1)	99.5 (+/−25)	90.9 (+/−27.3)	<0.001
SMI, cm²/m²	23.0 (+/− 7.6)	34.9 (+/−7.4)	31.79 (+/−8.6)	<0.001

Scores
SAPS II	35.8 (+/−17.6)	34.1 (+/−11.9)	34.6 (+/−13.6)	0.652
SOFA	7.2 (+/−11.6)	3.8 (+/−2.8)	4.5 (+/−5.8)	0.069

Biological parameters at admission
Lymphocytes, G/L	1.00 (+/−1.4)	1.01 (+/− 0.6)	1.01 (+/−0.9)	0.971
Albumin, g/L	28.8 (+/−6)	28.7 (+/−6)	28.8 (+/−6)	0.94

Outcomes
Mortality, n (%)	4 (21.1)	5 (10)	9 (13)	0.223
Pneumonia, n (%)	6 (31.6)	16 (32)	22 (31.9)	0.973
MV, n (%)	7 (36.8)	18 (36.0)	25 (36.2)	0.984
HFO duration, days	4.6 (+/−3.3)	3.6 (+/− 2.7)	3.9 (+/−2.9)	0.207
MV duration, days	8.0 (+/− 8.1)	11.8 (+/− 13.5)	10.8 (+/−12.4)	0.367
ICU LOS, days	12.5 (+/− 8.7)	14.7 (+/− 14.2)	14.1 (+/− 12.9)	0.518
Hospital LOS, days	263.8 (+/− 22.4)	25.5 (+/− 21.3)	25.1 (+/− 21.5)	0.768

Effect of mechanical ventilation at admission

Variables	Mechanical ventilation on admission n =13	No mechanical ventilation on admission n = 137	Total n = 150	p
Age, years	67.1 (+/−11.4)	67.13 (+/−11.4)	67.13(+/−11.3)	0.998
Male, n (%)	6 (46.2)	94 (68.6)	100 (66.7)	0.101

Comorbidities
Respiratory, n (%)	3 (23.1)	48 (35)	51 (34)	0.294
Cardiac, n (%)	6 (46.2)	62 (45.3)	68 (45.3)	0.950
Renal, n (%)	1 (7.7)	15 (10.9)	16 (10.7)	0.584
Diabetes, n (%)	5 (30.8)	48 (35)	52 (34.7)	0.509
Sarcopenia, n (%)	4 (30.8)	71 (51.8)	75 (50)	0.123
BMI, kg/m²	33.1(+/− 8)	30.0 (+/−6.2)	30.3 (+/−6.4)	0.101

CT-Scan variables
Lung damage, n(%):
Mild (<25%)	3 (23.1)	39 (28.5)	42 (28)	0.062
Moderate (25–50%)	3 (23.1)	69 (50.4)	72 (48)
Severe (50–75%)	6 (46.2)	24 (17.5)	30 (20)
Very severe (>75%)	1 (7.7)	5 (3.6)	6 (4)
Pulmonary embolism, n (%)	0 (0)	6 (4.4)	6 (4)	0.573

Scores
SAPS II	46.8 (+/−18.7)	33.8 (+/−12.1)	34.9 (+/−13.5)	0.001
SOFA	6.0 (+/−4.2)	4.2 (+/−6)	4.3 (+/−5.8)	0.276

Biological parameters at admission
Lymphocytes, G/L	0.96 (+/−0.8)	0.97 (+/− 1.1)	0.97 (+/−1.1)	0.968
Albumin, g/L	28.8 (+/−8.1)	28.0 (+/−4.5)	28.1 (+/−5.1)	0.670

Outcomes
Mortality, n (%)	3 (23.1)	19 (13.9)	22 (14.7)	0.292
Pneumonia, n (%)	11 (84.6)	26 (19)	37 (24.7)	<0.001
MV duration, days	19.0 (+/− 9.6)	6.8 (+/− 10.2)	8.5 (+/−10.9)	<0.001
ICU LOS, days	23.7 (+/− 13.28)	11.5 (+/− 10.2)	12.6 (+/− 11.0)	0.001
Hospital LOS, days	34.0 (+/− 20.4)	25.0 (+/− 21.7)	25.8 (+/− 21.7)	0.154

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The effect of pre-existing sarcopenia on outcomes of critically ill patients treated for COVID-19

Categoria dell'articolo: Research Article

Pubblicato online: 31 gen 2025

Pagine: 33 - 43

Ricevuto: 18 ott 2024

Accettato: 21 nov 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jccm-2024-0045

Parole chiave
COVID-19, Skeletal Muscle Index, sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, death, Intensive Care Unit

© 2025 Thomas Bradier et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Fig. 1.

Effect of sarcopenia on High flow oxygen

Patients characteristics and outcomes_

Effect of sarcopenia in obese patients

Effect of mechanical ventilation at admission

The effect of pre-existing sarcopenia on outcomes of critically ill patients treated for COVID-19

Thomas Bradier

Sébastien Grigioni

Céline Savoye-Collet

Gaétan Béduneau

Dorothée Carpentier

Christophe Girault

Maximillien Grall

Grégoire Jolly

Najate Achamrah

Fabienne Tamion

Zoé Demailly

Categoria dell'articolo: Research Article

Pubblicato online: 31 gen 2025

Pagine: 33 - 43

Ricevuto: 18 ott 2024

Accettato: 21 nov 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jccm-2024-0045

Parole chiaveCOVID-19, Skeletal Muscle Index, sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, death, Intensive Care Unit

© 2025 Thomas Bradier et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Fig. 1.

Effect of sarcopenia on High flow oxygen

Patients characteristics and outcomes_

Effect of sarcopenia in obese patients

Effect of mechanical ventilation at admission

Parole chiave
COVID-19, Skeletal Muscle Index, sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, death, Intensive Care Unit