Dynapenia is highly prevalent in older patients with advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Body composition and muscle strength are emerging aspects in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) clinical assessment. We aimed to study the relationships of handgrip strength (HGS) with anthropometric variables, body composition, and disease staging, and to evaluate the prevalence of dynapenia in 102 clinically stable IPF patients (70 M; mean age: 69.4 years). Fat-free mass (FFM), skeletal muscle (SM) were estimated with bioimpedance analysis. HGS was measured with a digital handle dynamometer for both dominant and non-dominant body sides. Dynapenia was identified according to six recognized criteria sets. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 28.2 ± 4.7 kg/m², with a prevalence of overweight (BMI > 25 and < 30 kg/m²) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) of 35% and 37%, respectively. FFM and SM were greater in males, whereas percentage body fat was higher in women. HGS was higher and declined with age slightly more rapidly in men, showing a stronger correlation with FFM and SM. Dynapenia prevalence ranged from 20.6 to 56.9%, depending on the criteria used, and was more frequent in older patients and advanced disease. Dynapenia is highly prevalent in IPF. HGS is a promising proxy marker of muscle function to be used in clinical evaluation and follow-up programs.