Concordance of different criteria for sarcopenia in community women of age

Abstract

The frequency and concordance between different sarcopenia criteria was assessed in community women of age. This is a cross-sectional study with 64 women of age, in which muscle mass was determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and skeletal muscle index calculation, muscle strength was determined with a handgrip strength dynamometer, functional capacity was determined with the tests Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Sit to Stand test (STS). This older population was classified in sarcopenic, pre-sarcopenic, moderate sarcopenic and severe sarcopenic by using different sarcopenia criteria. The data were analyzed with use of Chi-square test and Kappa statistics. The results obtained demonstrated that 37.5% of the women suffered of low muscle mass, 34.4% of muscle weakness, 3.1% of functional impairment to stand and walk and 25.9% to sit and raise from the chair. Considering only muscle mass, 37.5% of the sample was classified as sarcopenic (moderate or severe) and, considering the criteria of the European Working Groups on Sarcopenia in Older People, 15.6% obtained this classification when assessing functional capacity with TUG and 22.4% with STS. Concordance between sarcopenia definitions ranged from moderate to excellent (p<0.001). Among women with muscle mass integrity (n=40), 30% showed low handgrip strength, 2.5% showed impairment in TUG and 25.7% in STS. It was concluded that the women presented high frequency of sarcopenia, regardless of the criteria used. Moderate to excellent concordance was observed between the sarcopenia criteria investigated. Identification of older people with muscle mass integrity coexisting with muscle weakness and functional impairment reinforces the importance of the evaluation of the three parameters in the clinical scientific setting.