PREVALÊNCIA DE SARCOPENIA EM PESSOAS QUE VIVEM COM O HIV PÓS-COVID-19

Abstract

HIV affects the immune system, making the body vulnerable to infection, but antiretroviral treatment (HAART) controls the virus, reduces mortality and improves the quality of life of people living with HIV (PLHIV). However, these people are more susceptible to COVID-19, especially if treatment is ineffective or in the case of comorbidities. COVID-19 causes an intense inflammatory response, which can aggravate health conditions in PLHIV. HAART, in addition to helping against HIV, can mitigate the effects of COVID-19, although the relationship between both diseases is not fully understood. PLHIV have a high prevalence of sarcopenia, characterized by loss of muscle mass, influenced by prolonged treatment and premature aging, which impacts their quality of life. Sarcopenia and HIV are related to a state of premature aging, immune dysfunction, constant inflammatory process and toxicity of HAART. The research aimed to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia in people living with HIV who were infected with the coronavirus. This was a cross-sectional and prospective analytical study, with primary data collected through tests and questionnaires to participants. Secondary data were collected through records and medical records. A total of 20 participants were evaluated, 10 from the HIV+COVID-19 group and 10 from the HIV/Non-COVID-19 control group. Anthropometric and sociodemographic assessments of the participants were evaluated, in addition to tests for sarcopenia, including: handgrip strength test; measurement of muscle mass with calf circumference. The results showed that there were no significant differences between the groups evaluated in any of the variables evaluated. Regarding the general analysis of the sample studied, it was observed that there was a predominance of men, with a mean age of 41.80 years and a mean BMI of 38.68 km/m². It was therefore concluded that in the studied sample, most patients presented signs of sarcopenia, mainly attributed to reduced muscle strength, but in a similar manner between the two groups studied, and that coronavirus infection did not increase this prevalence. These results suggest that, although HIV and COVID-19 affect muscle health, coronavirus did not have a significant additional impact on sarcopenia in PLHIV. Future studies with larger and longer samples are recommended to deepen the knowledge about these conditions and sarcopenia.