Impaired hand grip strength correlates with greater disability and symptom severity in post-COVID myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

Paffrath, A.; Kim, L.; Kedor, C.; Stein, E.; Rust, R.; Freitag, H.; Hoppmann, U.; Hanitsch, L.G.; Bellmann-Strobl, J.; Wittke, K.; Scheibenbogen, C.; Sotzny, F.

Impaired hand grip strength correlates with greater disability and symptom severity in post-COVID myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

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Item Type:	Article
Title:	Impaired hand grip strength correlates with greater disability and symptom severity in post-COVID myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
Creators Name:	Paffrath, A., Kim, L., Kedor, C., Stein, E., Rust, R., Freitag, H., Hoppmann, U., Hanitsch, L.G., Bellmann-Strobl, J., Wittke, K., Scheibenbogen, C. and Sotzny, F.
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.
Keywords:	Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Post-COVID Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Hand Grip Strength, COVID-19
Source:	Journal of Clinical Medicine
ISSN:	2077-0383
Publisher:	MDPI
Volume:	13
Number:	7
Page Range:	2153
Date:	8 April 2024
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13072153
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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