Malnutrition and sarcopenia in older adults: how to assess these conditions during hospitalization?

Introduction: malnutrition and sarcopenia, especially in older adults, are associated with increased mortality due to increased susceptibility to infections, increased functional disability, increased number of hospitalizations, and impact on quality of life. During hospitalization, malnutrition and sarcopenia can interfere with clinical outcomes, and assessment of these conditions is necessary for early interventions. Objective: to assess the relationship between malnutrition and sarcopenia parameters in older adults during hospitalization. Method: this epidemiological study employed a cross-sectional descriptive field design and included 103 individuals aged 60 years or older from a university hospital in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Malnutrition was assessed using the criteria recommended by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM), while sarcopenia was assessed based on the consensus of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP). Results: malnutrition was diagnosed in 52.4 % of the individuals, while sarcopenia was identified in 22.3 %. Among sarcopenic individuals, 91.3 % were also malnourished, suggesting that nearly all malnourished patients were affected by sarcopenia. Logistic regression analysis revealed a higher likelihood of sarcopenia among malnourished individuals [OR: 22.02; 95 % CI: 4.33-111.95; p < 0.0001], with an increased probability of sarcopenia in individuals with lower calf circumference [OR: 11.34; 95 % CI: 3.54-36.21; p < 0.0001]. Conclusion: monitoring nutritional status using GLIM and identifying sarcopenia should be integral to hospital admission procedures. Calf circumference, a quick and easily obtainable measure, was found to be associated with malnutrition and effective for the early detection of sarcopenia.