A prospective study was conducted to determine the prognostic value of a rapid sarcopenia measure in acutely ill older outpatients for 1-year adverse outcomes.

In all, 665 acutely ill older adults needing intensive management to avoid hospital admission were included. Sarcopenia was defined as the presence of both low muscle strength and low muscle mass. The study outcomes included time to hospitalization, new dependence in basic activities of daily living (ADL), decline in walking ability, and death.

At the time of admission, 31% patients had sarcopenia. When 1-year adverse outcomes were compared between older adults with and without sarcopenia, respectively, cumulative incidences were as follows: for hospitalization - 46% vs. 32%, for new ADL dependence - 47% vs 24%, for declining walking ability - 28% vs 13%, and for mortality - 22% vs 10%.

Low muscle strength was associated with all outcomes while low muscle mass was associated with all outcomes except mortality. Sarcopenia was found to be a robust predictor of 1-year adverse outcomes among acutely ill older outpatients. A combination of handgrip strength with calf circumference seems valuable to screen for sarcopenia, and identify high-risk older adults.

Source: Aliberti MJR, Szlejf C, Covinsky KE, et al. Prognostic value of a rapid sarcopenia measure in acutely ill older adults. Clin Nutr. 2019 Aug 31. pii: S0261-5614(19)33038-9.