Prevalence of characteristics associated with sarcopenia in elders: a cross-sectional study.
Caroline Ribeiro de Sousa, Janaína Fonseca Victor Coutinho, Marília Braga Marques and 5 others
PMID 36995822WHAT IT FOUND
In primary care elders, 25.52% had probable sarcopenia, 11.8% had sarcopenia, and 9.90% had severe sarcopenia.
Calf under 31 cm, male sex, dyslipidemia, polypharmacy and obesity were linked to higher prevalence. Cross-sectional data show association, not cause.
Key findings
01The study analysed 384 elders; 25.52% had probable sarcopenia, 11.8% had sarcopenia, and 9.90% had severe sarcopenia.
02Calf circumference below 31 cm was associated with 2.24 times the prevalence of sarcopenia and 2.19 times the prevalence of severe sarcopenia.
03Male sex was associated with 1.75 times the prevalence of probable sarcopenia, and physical exercise was associated with 0.39 times the prevalence of severe sarcopenia.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Some variables, including education and comorbidities, were self-reported, so they may be inaccurate. The study was cross-sectional, so it could not show that any characteristic caused sarcopenia. Elders with dementia were excluded, and bedridden or homebound elders were not assessed, so the results may miss the most frail older adults. Participants were invited when they attended the units, so elders who did not attend may not be represented.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the associations as proof that exercise, weight control, medication review or treating dyslipidemia prevents sarcopenia. This was a cross-sectional study, so it measured exposure and outcome at the same time and could not establish cause.