Prevalence of sarcopenia in cardiac inpatients

Patients of older age groups have high comorbidity. Among geriatric diseases, sarcopenia that is a risk factor for adverse outcomes attracts increasing attention. Objective: to study the incidence of sarcopenia in persons over 60 years of age who have been admitted to a cardiology department. Subjects and methods. Thirty-six elderly and 64 senile patients were diagnosed with sarcopenia according to the updated EWGSOP2 guidelines (2018). After screening with the SARC-F questionnaire, all the patients at risk of sarcopenia underwent muscle strength measurement using a handheld dynamometer and the chair stand test, the muscle function assessment using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), as well as muscle mass estimation by bioimpedence. Results. There was a risk of sarcopenia in 78 (78%) persons [elderly (n=21) and senile (n=57) ones]. There was a decline in muscle strength, muscle function, and muscle mass in 64%, 55%, and 60% of the patients, respectively. Sarcopenia was diagnosed in 53% of the patients (42% in women and 11% in men); severe sarcopenia was identified in 49%. Sarcopenia was detected in 19.4% of elderly cases and in 71.9% of senile ones. In 100% of the senile women, the SARC-F scores coincided with the results obtained by other sarcopenia diagnostic techniques. Conclusion. Sarcopenia is a common comorbidity in patients with cardiovascular diseases. The rate of sarcopenia in elderly and senile cardiac patients is 53%, substantially increasing with age; severe sarcopenia was diagnosed in 49% of cases. Sarcopenia is detected much more common in women than in men. The SARC-F questionnaire to screen sarcopenia is highly predictable, especially in elderly women.

sarcopenia, geriatrics, comorbidity, muscle strength, dynamometry