Correlation between Muscle Mass and Physical Activity Level in Older Adults at Risk of Falling: The FITNESS Study

The study investigates the correlation between muscle mass and physical activity level measured objectively and subjectively in older adults who fall or are at high risk of falling.

FITNESS (Fall Interest to Target Newly Sarcopenic Society) is a multi-center (French university hospitals of Angers, Lille, Limoges and Orléans), cross-sectional, observational study of routine care within a French multidisciplinary hospital consultation. Inclusion criteria were ≥ 75 years old, living at home and consulting for fall or gait disorder. A standardized geriatric assessment, muscle mass evaluation by impedancemetry, physical activity by continuous actimetry (5 days) and Incidental and Planned Exercise Questionnaire (IPEQ) were performed at patient inclusion.

170 people aged 75 and over were included in the FITNESS study (mean age 82.9 ±4.7 years, women 72.9%). Muscle mass (whole body and lower limbs) correlated with active energy expenditure (AEE, ρ whole body = 0.32, p-value < 0.001; ρ lower limbs = 0.25, p-value = 0.003), but not with number of daily steps, nor with IPEQ score. Multivariate analysis of whole-body muscle mass showed a positive and significant association with AEE and albumin levels and for lower limb muscle mass, a positive association with AEE and Charlson.

This study suggests that in the particular population of older adults who fall and/or are at high risk of falling, loss of muscle mass correlates with reduced physical activity. So subjects who fall or at high risk of falling constitute a special group for whom the fight against sedentary lifestyles and the maintenance of physical activity should be a dual priority.