BACKGROUND

COVID-19 is an infectious disease characterized by a severe catabolic and inflammatory state, leading to loss of muscle mass. The assessment of muscle mass can be useful to identify nutritional risk and assist in early management, especially in older adults who have high nutritional risks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of calf circumference (CC) with clinical and biochemical markers and mortality in older adults with COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

METHODS

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in a public hospital. CC was adjusted for body mass index (BMI), reducing 3, 7, or 12 cm for a BMI of 25-29.9, 30-39.9, and ≥40 kg/m, respectively, and classified as reduced when <33 cm for women and <34 cm for men. Pearson's correlation between BMI and CC was performed to assess the association between variables. Regression analysis was adjusted for sex, age, and BMI variables. Cox regression was used to assess survival related to CC.

RESULTS

A total of 208 older adults diagnosed with COVID-19 admitted to ICU were included, of which 84% ( = 176) were classified as having reduced CC. These patients were older, with lower BMI, higher nutritional risk, malnourished, and higher concentration of urea and urea-creatinine ratio (UCR) compared with the group with normal CC. There was an association between edematous patients at nutritional risk and malnourished with reduced CC in the Cox regression, either adjusted or not for confounding.

CONCLUSIONS

CC was not associated with severity, biochemical markers, or mortality in older adults with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU, but it was associated with moderately malnourished patients assessed by subjective global assessment (SGA).