Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 4, 2025

Author Spotlight: Assessing Surgical Frailty with Point-of-Care Ultrasound of Quadriceps Muscles
Published on: July 26, 2024
Prevalence of characteristics associated with sarcopenia in elders: a cross-sectional study
Caroline Ribeiro de Sousa1, Janaína Fonseca Victor Coutinho1, Marília Braga Marques1
1Universidade Federal do Ceará. Fortaleza, Ceará. Brazil.
Objectives:
to identify the prevalence and characteristics associated with sarcopenia in elders in Primary Health Care Units.
Methods:
cross-sectional study with 384 elders. To evaluate sarcopenia, we measured: strength and muscle mass, and physical performance. The elderly were classified as having: probable sarcopenia; sarcopenia; or severe sarcopenia. The chi-squared test and the multinomial logistic regression method were used.
Results:
the prevalence of probable sarcopenia was 25.52%; of sarcopenia, 11.98%; and of severe sarcopenia, 9.90%. Probable sarcopenia is 1.75 times more prevalent in men; osteoporosis is 2.16 times more prevalent in people with severe sarcopenia; polypharmacy is 1.57 times more likely in individuals with probable sarcopenia; and calf circumference below 31 cm is 2.24 times more likely in patients with sarcopenia and 2.19 times more likely in patients with severe sarcopenia.
Conclusions:
the highest prevalence was of probable sarcopenia, and the characteristics associated with sarcopenia were sex, osteoporosis, polypharmacy, overweight, obesity, and calf circumference.
Related Concept Videos
Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
The Effect of Aging on Tissues
Aging
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Menopause
Disorders of the Skeletal Muscle
Musculoskeletal disorders
Musculoskeletal disorders involve injuries and conditions affecting the skeletal muscles and associated connective tissues. These disorders can arise from acute biomechanical stresses or chronic overuse and can occur across different age groups. Common injuries include sprains, fractures, and muscular strains, often resulting from...

