An Analysis Between Body Composition and Vertigo Post-Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients

<b>Introduction</b> An association between the sensation of vertigo, and body composition has not been investigated in post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. <b>Objective</b> To evaluate the probable association between the sensation of vertigo and body composition-as amount of fat, bone, and muscle-in post-COVID-19 patients. <b>Methods</b> Cross-sectional study with a sample of post-COVID-19 patients who responded to the visual analog scale (VAS) and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI). Clinical assessment and electrical bioimpedance were used to determine body composition. <b>Results</b> There were 105 participants evaluated, 61% (n = 64) of whom were male, aged 49.5 ± 11.7 years, with an average height of 165.6 ± 19.9 cm, body weight of 87.6 ± 20 kg, and body mass index (BMI) of 31.1 ± 5.4 kg/m. The prevalence of self-reported vertigo was 51.4% (n = 54); of these, 11.4% (n = 12) related vertigo before the diagnosis of COVID-19, and 40% (n = 42) related vertigo during or after COVID-19. Furthermore, 37.2% (n = 39) of the sample reported that vertigo persisted after medical discharge. In the comparative analysis, the data showed a significant difference between the groups with and without vertigo for height ( <i>p</i> = 0.001), body mass ( <i>p</i> = 0.006), body water ( <i>p</i> = 0.001), lean mass ( <i>p</i> = 0.002), fat-free mass ( <i>p</i> = 0.001), and musculoskeletal mass ( <i>p</i> = 0.001). <b>Conclusion</b> There was a significant association between body composition and the complaint of vertigo in post-COVID-19 patients, suggesting that these aspects should be considered when assessing and can contribute to the construction of knowledge about long COVID.