Screening for sarcopenia with SARC-F in older patients hospitalized with cardiovascular disease

SARC-F ≥ 4 points are used for detecting sarcopenia; however, finding a lower SARC-F cut-off value may lead to early detection of sarcopenia. We investigated the SARC-F score with the highest sensitivity and specificity values to identify sarcopenia in older patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Motor performances were also examined for each SARC-F score.

This retrospective cross-sectional study examined the sensitivity and specificity of every 1-point increase in the SARC-F score to predict sarcopenia. Eligible participants included patients with CVD (≥65 years old) who were admitted for acute CVD treatment and participated in cardiac rehabilitation. Patients completed the SARC-F questionnaire and the sarcopenia assessment. Area under the curves (AUCs) were investigated for the ability to predict sarcopenia. Multivariable linear regression was used to compare the mean value of physical functions (e.g. walking speed, leg strength, and 6 min walking distance) of each SARC-F score. A total of 1066 participants (63.8% male; median age: 76 years) were included. Sarcopenia was present in 401 patients. A SARC-F cut-off ≥2 presented the optimal balance between sensitivity (68.3%) and specificity (55.6%) to detect sarcopenia (AUCs = 0.658; 95% confidence interval: 0.625-0.691). When the patients had low scores (1-3), every 1 point increase in the SARC-F score was associated with lower physical functions such as lower muscle strength and shorter walking distance (all P < 0.001).

A SARC-F cut-off ≥2 was optimal for screening sarcopenia, and even a low SARC-F score is useful in detecting sarcopenia and low physical function at an early stage in patients with CVD.