Low muscle mass in patients with stroke on admission reduces walking ability at discharge

Reduced skeletal muscle mass may negatively influence postural retention and walking function. This study aimed to examine the influence of the skeletal muscle mass index on walking function in patients with stroke.

This study included patients with cerebral infarction aged ≥65 years. The Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia's skeletal muscle mass index criteria were used to classify the participants into the low and high skeletal muscle mass index groups. The patient characteristics of the two groups were compared. The primary and secondary outcome measures were independent walking and walking speed, respectively.

In total, 174 participants were included. There were no significant differences in the length of hospital stay, rehabilitation volume, or functional independence measure score at discharge between the males and females. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that independent walking was independently associated with the skeletal muscle mass index on admission. The SMI, as an explanatory variable, was independently associated with the comfortable and fastest walking speeds. Faster walking was associated with higher skeletal muscle mass indexes on admission for both males and females.

A low skeletal muscle mass index negatively influences walking function improvement in patients with stroke. A strategy aimed at increasing skeletal muscle mass can have beneficial effects on walking function in patients with stroke.