Loss of muscle mass and function (sarcopenia) may result from both acute and chronic diseases and, as in a vicious cycle, deeply impacts short- and long-term clinical outcomes.
Coronavirus disease 19, severely affects elderly people with chronic diseases such as arterial hypertension, overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes.
These chronic conditions are often associated with sarcopenia in older individuals. It is therefore possible that sarcopenia itself is a risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection and critical illness.
It should also be highlighted that COVID-19, especially in its severe forms, involves marked elevation in inflammatory cytokines and prolonged immobilization, and is in fact associated with clinically significant weight loss.
Thus, sarcopenia may be a risk factor for COVID-19, while at the same time, COVID-19 infection and subsequent hospitalization may be an underestimated driver of cachexia and sarcopenia. Despite the potential clinical relevance of sarcopenia in COVID-19, little evidence is available in the literature to date.
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