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Cut-off points for muscle mass — not grip strength or gait speed — determine variations in sarcopenia prevalence

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) has proposed different methods and cut-off points for the three parameters that define sarcopenia: muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance. Although this facilitates clinical practice, it limits comparability between studies and leads to wide differences in published prevalence rates. The aim of this study was to assess how changes in cut-off points for muscle mass, gait speed and grip strength affected sarcopenia prevalence according to EWGSOP criteria.

Methods

Cross-sectional analysis of elderly individuals recruited from outpatient clinics (n=298) and nursing homes (n=276). We measured muscle mass, grip strength and gait speed and assessed how changes in cut-off points changed sarcopenia prevalence in both populations.

Results

An increase from 5.45 kg/m2 to 6.68 kg/m2 in the muscle mass index for female outpatients and nursing-home residents increased sarcopenia prevalence from 4% to 23% and from 9% to 47%, respectively; for men, for an increase from 7.25 kg/m2 to 8.87 kg/m2, the corresponding increases were from 1% to 22% and from 6% to 41%, respectively. Changes in gait speed and grip strength had a limited impact on sarcopenia prevalence.

Conclusion

The cut-off points used for muscle mass affect the reported prevalence rates for sarcopenia and, in turn, affect comparability between studies. The main factors influencing the magnitude of the change are muscle mass index distribution in the population and the absolute value of the cut-off points: the same difference between two references (e.g., 7.5 kg/m2 to 7.75 kg/m2 or 7.75 kg/m2 to 8 kg/m2) may produce different changes in prevalence. Changes in cut-off points for gait speed and grip strength had a limited impact on sarcopenia prevalence and on study comparability.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geriatric Unit. Internal Medicine. Clinical Institute of Medicine and Dermatology, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain

    F. Masanés & A. López Soto

  2. Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain

    F. Masanés & A. López Soto

  3. Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    F. Masanés & A. López Soto

  4. Institute for Biomedical Research Sant Pau, Fundació Salut i Envelliment Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Xavier Rojano i Luque & A. Salvà

  5. Institute for Biomedical Research Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain

    Xavier Rojano i Luque, A. Salvà & D. Ruiz

  6. Servicio de Geriatría, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain

    J. A. Serra-Rexach

  7. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    J. A. Serra-Rexach & F. Cuesta

  8. Igurco Servicios Sociosanitarios, Bilbao, Spain

    I. Artaza

  9. Geriatric Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain

    F. Formiga

  10. Servicio de Geriatría, Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain

    F. Cuesta

  11. Geriatric Unit, Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain

    D. Ruiz

  12. Faculat de Medicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    D. Ruiz

  13. Servicio de Geriatría, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain

    A. J. Cruz-Jentoft

Authors
  1. F. Masanés
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  2. Xavier Rojano i Luque
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  3. A. Salvà
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  4. J. A. Serra-Rexach
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  5. I. Artaza
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  6. F. Formiga
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  7. F. Cuesta
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  8. A. López Soto
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  9. D. Ruiz
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  10. A. J. Cruz-Jentoft
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xavier Rojano i Luque.

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Masanés, F., Rojano i Luque, X., Salvà, A. et al. Cut-off points for muscle mass — not grip strength or gait speed — determine variations in sarcopenia prevalence. J Nutr Health Aging 21, 825–829 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-016-0844-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-016-0844-5

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