Performance Indicators of the SARC-F Questionnaire in Acute Care

Sarcopenia is an age-related disease associated with health adverse outcomes, i.e. higher risk of mobility limitation, falls, fractures, mortality, and lower quality of life. The European Working Group on Sarcopenia has recently revisited one of the widely used most acknowledged definitions and launched the revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis (EWGSOP2) (4). Applying the EWGSOP2 is a three-tier process: first, screening by the Sluggishness, Assistance in walking, Rising from a chair, Climb stairs, Falls (SARC-F) questionnaire; second, diagnosis by low muscle strength, and low muscle mass; third, severity grading by low muscle function. The EWGSOP2 recommends the assessment of sarcopenia in every population, both in community-dwelling and acute care older patients. However, the evidence about the performance indicators of the SARC-F questionnaire to screen for sarcopenia in acute patients admitted to an acute care unit is really limited.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients aged 65 and over
• Hospitalized in an acute care geriatric unit due to acute health issues or acute medical conditions
• With SARC-F, hand-grip strength and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry administered during hospital admission

Exclusion criteria

• SARC-F unavailable
• Unwilling to collaborate in the sarcopenia assessment
• Unwilling to sign the informed consent