Abstract
Handgrip strength is an indirect indicator of physical fitness that is used in medical rehabilitation for its potential prognostic value. An increasing number of studies indicate that COVID-19 survivors experience impaired physical fitness for months following hospitalization. The aim of our study was to assess physical fitness indicator differences with another prevalent and hypoxia-driven disease, Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS). Our findings showed differences between post-COVID-19 and OSAS groups in cardiovascular responses, with post-COVID-19 patients exhibiting higher values for heart rate and in mean arterial blood pressure. Oxygen saturation (SpO2) was lower in post-COVID-19 patients during a six-minute walking test (6MWT), whereas the ΔSpO2 (the difference between the baseline to end of the 6MWT) was higher compared to OSAS patients. In patients of both groups, statistically significant correlations were detected between handgrip strength and distance during the 6MWT, anthropometric characteristics, and body composition parameters. In our study, COVID-19 survivors demonstrated a long-term reduction in muscle strength compared to OSAS patients. Lower handgrip strength has been independently associated with a prior COVID-19 hospitalization. The differences in muscle strength and oxygenation could be attributed to the abrupt onset of the disorder, which does not allow compensatory mechanisms to act effectively. Targeted rehabilitation focusing on such residual impairments may thus be indispensable within the setting of post-COVID-19 syndrome.
Highlights
COVID-19 has led to an increase in morbidity worldwide
Our findings indicated that COVID-19 survivors have reduced muscle strength compared to Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) patients
Our findings indicate that COVID-19 survivors present with lower oxygen saturation during mobilization compared to OSAS patients, as indicated by measurements during during mobilization compared to OSAS patients, as indicated by measurements during the 6-minute walk test (6MWT)
Summary
Due to secondary respiratory failure both in the hospital and in post-COVID-19 settings, patients limit their physical activities, when experiencing severe disease, as desaturation occurs even during minimal mobilization. Exposure to hypoxia and limitations in physical activity are shared features of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) and post-COVID-19 syndrome [1,2,3]. Bedridden patients experience functional decline and an increased risk of complications proportionately to their hospitalization time and regardless of age [4]. Even one week of hospitalization affects muscle mass and the patient’s general wellness [5]. An indirect measure of patient fitness is handgrip strength [6], with prognostic utility regarding physical ability and cardiovascular status in hospitalized patients [7]
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