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Prevalence and definition of sarcopenia in community dwelling older people

Data from the Berlin aging study II (BASE-II)

Sarkopenie bei zuhause lebenden Senioren: Prävalenz und Definition

Ergebnisse der Berliner Altersstudie II (BASE-II)

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Abstract

Background

Sarcopenia describes the age-associated loss of muscle mass, strength and function. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of sarcopenia in a cohort of community dwelling elderly people living in Berlin, Germany, according to the criteria proposed by current consensus statements and to study the respective impact on self-reported physical performance.

Material and methods

This study included 1405 participants from the Berlin aging study II (BASE-II). The appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) was assessed with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), muscle strength was measured by hand grip strength and the timed up and go” test (TUG) was performed as a functional parameter to reflect mobility.

Results

The prevalence of sarcopenia was 24.3 % in terms of reduced SMI only and considerably lower for sarcopenia with reduced grip strength (4.1 %) and sarcopenia with limited mobility (2.4 %). Only 0.6 % of the participants fulfilled all three criteria. Of the subjects with a normal SMI, 8.6 % had reduced grip strength and 5.1 % had limited mobility, whereas 1.3 % subjects fulfilled both criteria. Participants with reduced strength or function reported severe difficulties in performing physical tasks significantly more often than participants with normal or reduced SMI alone (p <0.029–p <0.0001).

Conclusion

In BASE-II low skeletal muscle mass was much more frequent than reduced grip strength or poor function. Reduced strength and function were found to be associated with a greater impact on physical performance than reduced muscle mass. Low SMI does not seem to be a prerequisite for low strength or limitations in mobility.

Zusammenfassung

Hintergrund

Sarkopenie beschreibt den altersassoziierten Verlust von Muskelmasse, -kraft und -funktion. Ziel dieser Studie war es, die Sarkopenieprävalenz in einer Stichprobe zu Hause lebender Senioren nach verschiedenen, gegenwärtig empfohlenen Kriterien zu bestimmen und einen Zusammenhang mit subjektiver physischer Leistungsfähigkeit in Aktivitäten des täglichen Lebens zu erforschen.

Material und Methode

Untersucht wurden 1405 Teilnehmer der Berliner Altersstudie II (BASE-II). Appendikuläre Skelettmuskelmasse und Skelettmuskelmasseindex (SMI) wurden mittels Doppel-Röntgen-Absorptiometrie (DXA) bestimmt. Die Muskelkraft wurde als Greifkraft gemessen, und die Mobilität als funktioneller Parameter mit dem Timed-up-and-go-Test (TUG) eingeschätzt.

Ergebnisse

Die Prävalenz der Sarkopenie betrug 24,3 % bezogen auf einen niedrigen SMI als alleiniges Kriterium und zeigte sich erheblich niedriger in Kombination der Kriterien niedriger SMI und reduzierte Greifkraft (4,1 %) oder niedriger SMI und eingeschränkte Mobilität (2,4 %). Nur 0,6 % aller Teilnehmer erfüllten alle 3 Kriterien. Von Teilnehmern mit normalem SMI hatten 8,6 % eine reduzierte Greifkraft und 5,1 % eine eingeschränkte Mobilität. Im Vergleich zu Teilnehmern mit normaler Kraft oder Funktion gaben jene mit reduzierter Kraft oder Funktion signifikant häufiger Schwierigkeiten in der physischen Performance an (p <0,029–p <0,0001).

Diskussion

Eine reduzierte Skelettmuskelmasse zeigte sich erheblich häufiger als eine reduzierte Greifkraft oder eingeschränkte Mobilität. Ein niedriger SMI scheint keine Voraussetzung zu sein für eine verringerte Muskelkraft oder -funktion, die ihrerseits einen stärkeren Zusammenhang mit der subjektiven physischen Leistungsfähigkeit von Senioren aufwiesen als eine reduzierte Muskelmasse.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Mike Heinig, Andrea Blaumann and Elisabeth Steinhagen for logistic and technical support in performing the DXA scans.

This study was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research under grant number 16SV5536K. Responsibility for the contents of this publication lies with the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Charité Research Group on Geriatrics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Reinickendorfer Str. 61, 13347, Berlin, Germany

    D. Spira,  K. Norman, J. Nikolov MSc.,  I. Demuth,  E. Steinhagen-Thiessen &  R. Eckardt

  2. Institute of Medical and Human Genetics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany

    I. Demuth

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  1. D. Spira
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  2. K. Norman
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  3. J. Nikolov MSc.
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  4. I. Demuth
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  5. E. Steinhagen-Thiessen
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Correspondence to D. Spira.

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Conflict of interest

D. Spira, K. Norman, J. Nikolov, I. Demuth, E. Steinhagen-Thiessen and R. Eckardt state that there are no conflicts of interest.

All participants gave written informed consent and the ethics committee of the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin approved the study (approval number EA2/029/09) which was carried out in accordance with national law and the Helsinki Declaration from 1975 (in its current revised form).

Additional information

Dr. Dominik Spira and Priv.-Doz. Dr. Kristina Norman contributed equally to this work.

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Spira, D., Norman, K., Nikolov, J. et al. Prevalence and definition of sarcopenia in community dwelling older people. Z Gerontol Geriat 49, 94–99 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-015-0886-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-015-0886-z

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