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Using two different algorithms to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia
Daisuke Yoshida1, Takao Suzuki, Hiroyuki Shimada
1Section for Health Promotion, Department for Research and Development to Support Independent Life of Elderly, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Aichi, Japan; Japan Foundation for Aging and Health, Aichi, Japan.
Screening for sarcopenia in older adults using the European working group on sarcopenia in older people (EWGSOP) algorithm or a muscle mass and strength algorithm yields similar prevalence rates. The EWGSOP algorithm identified slightly more cases, highlighting ongoing debate on gait speed inclusion.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Musculoskeletal Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Sarcopenia screening methods and definitions vary, leading to differing research opinions.
- The European working group on sarcopenia in older people (EWGSOP) proposed an algorithm prioritizing gait speed.
- Alternative algorithms focus on muscle mass and strength for sarcopenia assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the prevalence of sarcopenia using two distinct algorithms: the EWGSOP-suggested method and a muscle mass/strength-based method.
- To evaluate the impact of including gait speed in sarcopenia screening algorithms.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey of 4811 Japanese adults aged over 65.
- Assessment of gait speed, grip strength, and appendicular skeletal muscle mass (SMI) using bioimpedance analysis.
- Comparison of sarcopenia prevalence rates derived from the EWGSOP algorithm versus a muscle mass and strength algorithm.
Main Results:
- Sarcopenia prevalence was 8.2% for men and 6.8% for women using the EWGSOP algorithm.
- Both algorithms identified largely the same individuals as sarcopenic.
- The EWGSOP algorithm identified an additional 0.15% of participants as sarcopenic compared to the muscle mass and strength algorithm.
Conclusions:
- The necessity of incorporating gait speed into sarcopenia screening algorithms for community-dwelling older adults remains debatable.
- Further research is required to validate the inclusion of gait speed and established cut-off values in sarcopenia assessment.
- The study suggests minimal difference in sarcopenia prevalence between the two evaluated algorithms in this population.
