Creatinine index as a predictive marker of sarcopenia in patients under hemodialysis

Sarcopenia is a clinical condition that comprises declined skeletal muscle (SM) mass and SM strength, and is a risk factor for physical disability, impaired quality of life, and advanced morbidity and mortality in patients on hemodialysis (HD). The existing difficulty in evaluating SM mass and consequently of sarcopenia, with affordable and practical methods in clinical practice, is well established. The purpose of this study is to examine the creatinine index (CrI), a surrogate of SM mass, as a potential predictive marker of sarcopenia.

In this cross-sectional study, we included 130 patients on HD with a mean age of 66.17 ± 12.47 years. SM mass and SM strength were evaluated with CrI and hand grip strength, respectively. Anthropometric, adiposity, nutritional, and biochemical assessments were also performed. Partial correlation and multivariate regression analyses were applied to investigate the association between CrI and SM strength.

Correlation analysis showed that mid-arm circumference, calf circumference, Geriatric nutritional index, and albumin-to-total protein ratio were positively associated with SM strength. Multivariate model indicated that CrI (β = 2.05, p < 0.001) and dialysis duration (β =- 0.53, p = 0.001) were independently related to SM strength. The significant positive correlation between CrI and SM strength remained unaffected even after adjusting for potential confounders.

Creatinine Index was significantly associated with SM strength highlighting its value as a new emerging practical in clinical setting sarcopenia predictive marker in HD patients.