Prevalence of Sarcopenia Through Different Diagnostic Criteria in Older Rhode Island Women

Abstract

Sarcopenia is the age related loss of lean mass and is related to functional limitations and disability in older adults. New guidelines have been developed to define sarcopenia but further research needs to be done to identify the prevalence of sarcopenia in older populations using these new guidelines. PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in women aged 65-84 years. METHODS: Community-dwelling women (n=61) aged 71.9 ±4.6 years with a BMI 27.3 ± 6.0 kg/m2 who by self-report were healthy and not involved in a regular, vigorous exercise program were recruited for screening for sarcopenia. Participants were evaluated for sarcopenia status based on definitions established by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), the International Working Group (IWG), and the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project (FNIHSP). Participants were tested under standardized conditions using established cut points of grip strength, gait speed, and appendicular lean mass (ALM; via multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis) to define sarcopenia status. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate prevalence and a Fisher’s exact test was used to analyze the distribution frequency of sarcopenia categories from the different organizations. RESULTS: In this sample 19.7% met EWGSOP sarcopenia criteria, 6.6% met FNIHSP sarcopenia criteria, and 3.3% met IWG sarcopenia criteria. There was a significant difference in distribution frequency for sarcopenia classification status when defined by EWGSOP guidelines vs. IWG guidelines (p=0.036). No other significant differences in distributions between definitions were observed. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of sarcopenia appears to be higher than previous estimates and there are significant differences between established definitions of sarcopenia when looking at a sample of older women in Rhode Island. These data, although from a small, homogenous sample, support the relatively large discrepancy among definitions in sarcopenia identification in older women that has been previously reported and suggests the need for additional examination to determine which established definition of sarcopenia is appropriate for different sub-groups (e.g. minority, institutionalized, older) to complement these findings.