Sarcopenia and Physical Function in Middle-Aged and Older Stroke Survivors.

This was a cross-sectional observational study, not a trial, so it cannot show that stroke causes sarcopenia, or that treating sarcopenia improves walking or fitness. Sarcopenia prevalence changed with the definition used, from 14.3% to 17.9% in the stroke group. Grip strength was not measured. 17 stroke participants did not have peak oxygen uptake testing, and 22 were missing the six-minute walk test. The matched stroke and control groups were not matched on diabetes status; none of the controls had type 2 diabetes, while 31% of the matched stroke group did. The controls were sedentary, as were the stroke survivors, so the comparison is not against active healthy adults. The stroke survivors all had mild to moderate gait deficits and could walk six minutes without human assistance, so findings may not apply to more severely impaired stroke survivors. Investigators were not blinded to whether participants were stroke survivors or controls. The reported relationships between lean mass, walking speed, and peak oxygen uptake are correlations; other factors such as spasticity could affect gait.

The authors reported no conflict of interest.

Do not read the higher sarcopenia prevalence in stroke survivors as proof that stroke causes sarcopenia or that treating it will improve function. This study measured people at one time, did not test an intervention, did not measure grip strength, and did not match diabetes status.