Diagnostic Evaluation of Sarcopenia in Elderly Patients

Sarcopenia is a progressive and generalized skeletal muscle disorder that represents an age-related physiological vulnerability that is associated with an increased likelihood of adverse outcomes, including falls, fractures, physical disability and mortality. The parameters used to assess sarcopenia in clinical practice have limited use due to its cost.

In this perspective, this study proposes the development of a tool for the diagnosis of having sarcopenia with good specificity and good sensitivity and of low cost and useful.

Elderly patients (n = 403) from the Geriatrics Outpatient Clinic of Hospital das Clínicas, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo will be selected. After signing the informed consent, sarcopenia will be assessed using the reference method (DXA) and anthropometry. The data obtained by the methods are treated statistically to obtain correlation and thus a new tool for the evaluation of sarcopenia patients in the elderly can be developed.

This study is of clinical importance, as sarcopenia is a relevant factor and can lead to consequences and poor prognosis in elderly patients, and there is no low-cost method in clinical practice to properly assess body composition in this population.

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥ 60 years
• Sign free and informed consent;
• Demonstrate interest, conditions and availability to participate in all procedures included in the study protocol;

Exclusion criteria

• Refusal to participate;
• Patients who have not undergone cognitive testing;
• Physical amputation;
• Patients undergoing interventional treatment for sarcopenia;