Outcome Priorities for Older Persons With Sarcopenia.
Mickael Hiligsmann, Charlotte Beaudart, Olivier Bruyère and 13 others
PMID 31672566WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults with sarcopenia valued mobility most (30%), then household tasks (22%), falls (18%), fatigue (17%), and quality of life (14%).
Ask which outcomes matter before setting goals.
Key findings
01Mobility was the most important sarcopenia outcome, followed by ability to manage domestic activities, risk of falls, fatigue, and quality of life.
02A second group of respondents, comprising 44% of the sample, valued fatigue most (27%).
03Mobility was the most important outcome in five of six countries; in Spain, ability to manage domestic activities was the most important.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Participants were younger than typical sarcopenia patients because they had to be cognitively able to complete the questionnaire. The study used hypothetical patients, so stated preferences may not match real treatment choices. Countries had different sample sizes and gender mix, and exclusions and refusals were not systematically collected. The questionnaire was translated but not back-translated, and it was not piloted in all countries. Sarcopenia severity was not systematically collected. 29 participants failed the dominance test and were excluded, but including them did not change results.
Declared interests
The article declares that CB, OB and JYR are shareholders of SarQoL sprl, a University of Liège spin-off; other authors declared no relevant conflict.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these ranked outcomes as evidence that treating sarcopenia improves mobility, household activity, falls, fatigue or quality of life. The study measured what patients said they valued in hypothetical choices, not treatment effects.