Association Between Sarcopenia and Its Components and Dependency in Activities of Daily Living in Patients on Hemodialysis.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association of sarcopenia and its components (muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance) with dependency in activities of daily living (ADLs) in maintaining patients on hemodialysis.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study. Sarcopenia was identified according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria. Basic ADLs (BADLs) and instrumental ADLs (IADLs) were assessed. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association of sarcopenia and its components with dependency. Area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of gait speed corresponding with dependency was calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 238 patients on hemodialysis were included. The proportion of enrolled male candidates was 67.6%, and the average age was 60.9 years. In all, 49.2% (n = 117) and 30.7% (n = 73) of patients on dialysis were diagnosed with sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia, respectively. Dependency in BADLs was 21.0% (n = 50), and dependency in IADLs was 41.2% (n = 98). Severe sarcopenia was significantly associated with dependency in BADLs and IADLs after adjustment of clinical covariables (odds ratio [OR], 4.68 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.11-10.40]; OR, 3.24 [95% CI: 1.61-6.53], respectively), whereas those effects for sarcopenia were not significant. With all three sarcopenia components in the analysis model, high gait speed remained strongly associated with low function dependency in BADLs and IADLs (per 0.1 m/s increase of gait speed: OR, 0.52 [95% CI: 0.41-0.66]; and 0.46 [95% CI: 0.35-0.59], respectively). Area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of gait speed corresponding with dependency in BADLs and IADLs was 0.827 (0.759, 0.896) and 0.878 (0.832, 0.925), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Severe sarcopenia was closely related to dependency in ADL in patients on hemodialysis. Gait speed was the most important factor affecting dependency in sarcopenia and had good diagnostic accuracy for screening dependency in ADL.