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- Title
Impaired Hand Grip Strength Correlates with Greater Disability and Symptom Severity in Post-COVID Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
- Authors
Paffrath, Anna; Kim, Laura; Kedor, Claudia; Stein, Elisa; Rust, Rebekka; Freitag, Helma; Hoppmann, Uta; Hanitsch, Leif G.; Bellmann-Strobl, Judith; Wittke, Kirsten; Scheibenbogen, Carmen; Sotzny, Franziska
- Abstract
Background: Post-COVID syndrome (PCS) encompasses a diverse array of symptoms persisting beyond 3 months after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, with mental as well as physical fatigue being the most frequent manifestations. Methods: In 144 female patients with PCS, hand grip strength (HGS) parameters were assessed as an objective measure of muscle fatigue, with 78 meeting the Canadian Consensus Criteria for postinfectious myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The severity of disability and key symptoms was evaluated using self-reported questionnaires. Results: Patients with ME/CFS exhibited heightened overall symptom severity, including lower physical function (p < 0.001), a greater degree of disability (p < 0.001), more severe fatigue (p < 0.001), postexertional malaise (p < 0.001), and autonomic dysfunction (p = 0.004) compared to other patients with PCS. While HGS was impaired similarly in all patients with PCS and exhibited a significant correlation with physical function across the entire patient group, HGS of patients with ME/CFS uniquely demonstrated associations with key symptoms. Conclusions: Thus, impaired HGS serves as an objective marker of physical function in patients with PCS. Only in patients meeting ME/CFS criteria is impaired HGS also associated with the severity of hallmark symptoms. This suggests a common mechanism for muscle fatigue and other symptoms in the ME/CFS subtype, distinct from that in other types of PCS.
- Subjects
CHRONIC fatigue syndrome; GRIP strength; POST-acute COVID-19 syndrome; FATIGUE (Physiology); DISABILITIES; CANCER fatigue; PEOPLE with disabilities
- Publication
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2024, Vol 13, Issue 7, p2153
- ISSN
2077-0383
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/jcm13072153