Low Calf Circumference is Associated with Prolonged Hospital Stay in Older Patients with Solid Tumors: A Secondary Analysis of a Cohort Study

Abstract

Background Older patients with cancer present intense loss of muscle mass (MM). Calf circumference (CC) is a simple measurement that assesses MM. This study analyzed the accuracy and association between low CC and negative outcomes in older patients with solid tumors. Methods A secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of inpatients with cancer was conducted. Low CC was defined as CC ≤34 cm in males and ≤33 cm in females. The CC was adjusted for body mass index by reducing 3 or 7 cm for BMI (in kg/m2) of 25–29.9 and 30–39.9, respectively. Accuracy tests and regression analyses were performed to evaluate the criterion validity of low CC for predicting length of stay (LOS) and readmission. Results A total of 248 inpatients were evaluated (69.7 [standard deviation (SD) 7.2]; 59.7% men). Among them, 31% had a low CC. A low CC (crude and adjusted for BMI) showed poor performance in predicting LOS and readmission. In the adjusted analysis, older patients with low CC had a 2.45-fold increased risk of LOS ≥ 4 days. Conclusion Low CC did not perform well in predicting negative outcomes in older patients with solid tumors. However, low CC was positively associated with LOS.