A cross-sectional study on sarcopenia using EWGSOP1 and EWGSOP2 criteria with regional thresholds and different adjustments in a specific geriatric outpatient clinic.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia according to different methods in older outpatients using regional threshold values of muscle mass and muscle strength.

METHODS

We used data from our university hospital's geriatric outpatient clinic specific to endocrinological problems, retrospectively. Sarcopenia was defined according to European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP)1 and EWGSOP2 criteria using regional threshold values of skeletal muscle mass (SMM) with the use of different adjustments, and also according to EWGSOP2 with regional threshold values of grip strength.

RESULTS

Among 248 study participants, 53.6% were obese. There was no sarcopenic patient with the height square adjusted regional SMM thresholds for EWGSOP1 and EWGSOP2. Sarcopenia prevalence was 11.7% with EWGSOP2, and 41.1% by the use of regional grip strength thresholds for EWGSOP2 with body mass index adjustments for SMM. The comparison of EWGSOP1 versus EWGSOP2 was not possible due to lack of sarcopenic patients with height adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of sarcopenia varied significantly with the application of different adjustment methods for SMM, and the use of regional grip strength thresholds in the specific patient group with normal to overweight and obese individuals. The use of regional thresholds of grip strength increased the prevalence of EWGSOP2-defined sarcopenia. The impact of the adjustment methods, the characteristics of the study population, and the regional thresholds should be taken into consideration while evaluating the results of sarcopenia studies.