Detecting Sarcopenia in Long-term Care Residents
Year: 2017
Type: conference-abstract
Abstract: Sarcopenia is characterized by decreased muscle mass with reduced strength and/or physical performance. Clinical assessment of sarcopenia is difficult in the elderly given the need for specialized testing for lean muscle mass and clinic time for functional testing. The SARC-F questionnaire, developed as a screening tool for sarcopenia, consists of five questions on physical abilities, and a summative score ≥ 4 indicates poor outcomes. We evaluated the accuracy of the SARC-F for identifying sarcopenia using the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project (FNIH) and European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) clinical definitions as gold standards. In our preliminary cohort of 43 women (age 86 ± 5.1), 6 (14%) had SARC-F ≥4, but only 1 met FNIH guidelines. Five additional women fit FNIH criteria, but had SARC-F <4. Only 8 women (19%) met the EWGSOP criteria, and all had SARC-F <4. Further refinement of the SARC-F may be necessary for better discrimination, but further study is needed for a more definitive recommendation.
Source: Innovation in Aging
Authors: M.P. Kotlarczyk, S. Perera, S.L. Greenspan
Institution: University of Pittsburgh
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,977
OpenAlex ID: W2727930342