Citation

Masanés F, Rojano I Luque X, Salva A, Serra-Rexach JA, Artaza I, Formiga F, Cuesta F, López Soto A, Ruiz D, Cruz-Jentoft AJ. J. Nutr. Health Aging 2017; 21(7): 825-829.

Affiliation

Xavier Rojano i Luque, Fundació Salut i Envelliment Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institute for Biomedical Research Sant Pau. Barcelona, Spain, xavier.rojano@uab.cat.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s12603-016-0844-5

PMID

28717813

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) has proposed different methods and cut-off points for the three parameters that define sarcopenia: muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance. Although this facilitates clinical practice, it limits comparability between studies and leads to wide differences in published prevalence rates. The aim of this study was to assess how changes in cut-off points for muscle mass, gait speed and grip strength affected sarcopenia prevalence according to EWGSOP criteria.

METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of elderly individuals recruited from outpatient clinics (n=298) and nursing homes (n=276). We measured muscle mass, grip strength and gait speed and assessed how changes in cut-off points changed sarcopenia prevalence in both populations.

RESULTS: An increase from 5.45 kg/m2 to 6.68 kg/m2 in the muscle mass index for female outpatients and nursing-home residents increased sarcopenia prevalence from 4% to 23% and from 9% to 47%, respectively; for men, for an increase from 7.25 kg/m2 to 8.87 kg/m2, the corresponding increases were from 1% to 22% and from 6% to 41%, respectively. Changes in gait speed and grip strength had a limited impact on sarcopenia prevalence.

CONCLUSION: The cut-off points used for muscle mass affect the reported prevalence rates for sarcopenia and, in turn, affect comparability between studies. The main factors influencing the magnitude of the change are muscle mass index distribution in the population and the absolute value of the cut-off points: the same difference between two references (e.g., 7.5 kg/m2 to 7.75 kg/m2 or 7.75 kg/m2 to 8 kg/m2) may produce different changes in prevalence. Changes in cut-off points for gait speed and grip strength had a limited impact on sarcopenia prevalence and on study comparability.

Language: en

Keywords

Sarcopenia; comparability; epidemiology; performance; screening