Sarcopenia is a predictor of patient death in acute ischemic stroke

Sarcopenia is proposed as a novel imaging biomarker in several acute conditions regarding outcome and mortality. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic role of the masseter muscles in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Overall, 189 patients with AIS that received mechanical thrombectomy were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Outcome and overall survival after 90 days were analyzed. Transversal surface area and density of the masseter muscles were measured. The diagnostic performance for the estimation of a) favorable modified ranking scale 90 days (mRS 90) outcome and b) death at 90 days was calculated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, followed by receiver operating characteristics and Odds ratios.

The masseter muscle area provided a significant difference between patients who survived and those who died and between patients who had a favorable outcome (mRS 90 < 3) and those who did not. The cutoff for a favorable mRS 90 was found to be 435.8 mm² for men and 338.8 mm² for women, the cutoff for the prediction of death 421.3 mm² for men and 326.6 mm² for women. Masseter muscle area was the third strongest predictor in both categories after patient age and NIHSS.

Masseter muscle area is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with AIS.