Screening for sarcopenia risk using SARC-F and its relationship with laboratory parameters in primary care

Sarcopenia screening in primary care is limited by time and workload. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between SARC-F (Strength, Assistance with walking, Rise from a chair, Climb stairs, and Falls)-defined sarcopenia risk and routine laboratory parameters in primary care. Additionally, the study aimed to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia risk, as defined by the SARC-F, in the study population.

Data were collected from individuals aged 65 and older (n = 396) registered at two family health centers in İzmir who had complete SARC-F and laboratory data. Sarcopenia risk was defined as a SARC-F score of 4 or higher. Demographic, clinical, and routine laboratory data were obtained from electronic records. Multivariate logistic regression, Pearson chi-square test, and Mann-Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The study included 396 individuals with an average age of 70 ± 6.3 years, of whom 55.1% were female. Sarcopenia risk was present in 16.9% of participants (20.6% in women and 12.3% in men). Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that increased age (OR = 1.250, 95% CI = 1.177-1.327), female sex (OR = 2.284, 95% CI = 1.057-4.934), higher BMI (body mass index) (OR = 1.106, 95% Cl = 1.026-1.193), lower ferritin (OR = 0.992, 95% Cl = 0.985-1.000), and lower albumin (OR = 0.777, 95% Cl = 0.693-0.871) levels were associated with an increased risk of sarcopenia.

The results of our study indicate that the risk of sarcopenia can be quite a common clinical condition in primary care. When increased clinical demands and limited time hinder the use of tests such as SARC-F, routine laboratory tests may help identify individuals at risk of sarcopenia.