Obesity is a characteristic of COVID-19 patients and the risk of malnutrition can be underestimated due to excess of fat: a paradoxical danger. Long ICU hospitalization exposes patients to a high risk of wasting and loss of lean body mass. The complex management precludes the detection of anthropometric parameters for the definition and monitoring of the nutritional status. The use of imaging diagnostics for body composition could help to recognize and treat patients at increased risk of wasting with targeted pathways. COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU underwent computed tomography within 24 h and about 20 days later, to evaluate the parameters of the body and liver composition. The main results were the loss of the lean mass index and a greater increase in liver attenuation in obese subjects. These could be co-caused by COVID-19, prolonged bed rest, the complex medical nutritional therapy, and the starting condition of low-grade inflammation of the obese. The assessment of nutritional status, with body composition applied to imaging diagnostics and metabolic profiles in COVID-19, will assist in prescribing appropriate medical nutritional therapy. This will reduce recovery times and complications caused by frailty.

Gualtieri, P., Falcone, C., Romano, L., Macheda, S., Correale, P., Arciello, P., et al. (2020). Body composition findings by computed tomography in sars-cov-2 patients: Increased risk of muscle wasting in obesity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES, 21(13), 1-13 [10.3390/ijms21134670].

Body composition findings by computed tomography in sars-cov-2 patients: Increased risk of muscle wasting in obesity

Gualtieri P.;De Lorenzo A.
2020-01-01

Abstract

Obesity is a characteristic of COVID-19 patients and the risk of malnutrition can be underestimated due to excess of fat: a paradoxical danger. Long ICU hospitalization exposes patients to a high risk of wasting and loss of lean body mass. The complex management precludes the detection of anthropometric parameters for the definition and monitoring of the nutritional status. The use of imaging diagnostics for body composition could help to recognize and treat patients at increased risk of wasting with targeted pathways. COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU underwent computed tomography within 24 h and about 20 days later, to evaluate the parameters of the body and liver composition. The main results were the loss of the lean mass index and a greater increase in liver attenuation in obese subjects. These could be co-caused by COVID-19, prolonged bed rest, the complex medical nutritional therapy, and the starting condition of low-grade inflammation of the obese. The assessment of nutritional status, with body composition applied to imaging diagnostics and metabolic profiles in COVID-19, will assist in prescribing appropriate medical nutritional therapy. This will reduce recovery times and complications caused by frailty.
2020
Pubblicato
Rilevanza internazionale
Articolo
Esperti anonimi
Settore MED/49 - SCIENZE TECNICHE DIETETICHE APPLICATE
Settore MEDS-08/C - Scienza dell'alimentazione e delle tecniche dietetiche applicate
English
diagnostic imaging
CT scan
body composition
fat
lean
liver attenuation
inflammation
muscle wasting
obesity
Gualtieri, P., Falcone, C., Romano, L., Macheda, S., Correale, P., Arciello, P., et al. (2020). Body composition findings by computed tomography in sars-cov-2 patients: Increased risk of muscle wasting in obesity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES, 21(13), 1-13 [10.3390/ijms21134670].
Gualtieri, P; Falcone, C; Romano, L; Macheda, S; Correale, P; Arciello, P; Polimeni, N; De Lorenzo, A
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2108/278302
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