Is the Thoracic and Back Muscle Mass Associated with Disease Severity in Patients with COVID-19?

Objective: With this study, it was aimed to investigate whether the thoracic muscle mass of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 was related to disease severity and disease characteristics and to evaluate whether muscle mass measurement had a predictive effect on predicting disease severity.

Material And Methods: Two hundred twenty-three subjects (patient group = 161 and control = 62) who presented to our coronavirus disease 2019 outpatient clinic between May 2020 and September 2020 were included in the study. The medication, oxygen, and intubation requirements of the patients and their disease duration and hospital stay were also recorded.

Investigation of the effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers on anemia in patients with normal or mildly low glomerular filtration rate.

Background/aim: The relationship between the activation of the renin-angiotensin system and the increase in erythropoiesis has been shown in many studies. In addition, the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARB) has been reported to reduce hemoglobin levels in various patient groups at risk for secondary erythrocytosis/polycythemia. The aim of our study is to investigate whether there is a change in hemoglobin levels after starting ACEIs or ARBs in patients who have not used them before.