Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

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

Ornina Atieh
ORCID logo ,
Jared C. Durieux
,
Jhony Baissary
,
Christian Mouchati
ORCID logo ,
Danielle Labbato
,
Alicia Thomas
,
Alexander Merheb
,
Kate Ailstock
,
Nicholas Funderburg
,
Grace A. McComsey
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 20 March 2024 / Approved: 21 March 2024 / Online: 22 March 2024 (11:18:55 CET)

How to cite: Atieh, O.; Durieux, J.C.; Baissary, J.; Mouchati, C.; Labbato, D.; Thomas, A.; Merheb, A.; Ailstock, K.; Funderburg, N.; McComsey, G.A. The Long-Term Effect of COVID-19 Infection on Body Composition. Preprints 2024, 2024031334. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.1334.v1 Atieh, O.; Durieux, J.C.; Baissary, J.; Mouchati, C.; Labbato, D.; Thomas, A.; Merheb, A.; Ailstock, K.; Funderburg, N.; McComsey, G.A. The Long-Term Effect of COVID-19 Infection on Body Composition. Preprints 2024, 2024031334. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.1334.v1

Abstract

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

Keywords

long-COVID; PASC; Body composition; COVID pandemic

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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