Prevalence Of Sarcopenia And Its Association With Muscle Strength And Mass In Elderly Patients

Sarcopenia is a geriatric syndrome characterized by progressive loss of skeletal muscle strength and mass contributing to frailty falls disability and reduced quality of life in elderly individuals. Early identification of sarcopenia is essential for timely intervention yet its prevalence and clinical correlates remain insufficiently explored in the Indian elderly population. This cross sectional observational study aims to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia among elderly patients above 60 years attending the outpatient and inpatient departments of General Medicine at VMKVMCH Salem and to evaluate its association with muscle strength and muscle mass. A total of approximately 200 participants will be recruited based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Muscle strength will be assessed using handgrip dynamometry and muscle mass will be measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis BIA. Sarcopenia will be diagnosed using EWGSOP2 criteria where low muscle strength indicates probable sarcopenia and low muscle mass confirms the diagnosis. Descriptive statistics will estimate prevalence while chi square and correlation analyses will assess associations between sarcopenia muscle strength and muscle mass. The findings are expected to provide epidemiological data on sarcopenia in the regional elderly population and support early screening strategies to prevent functional decline. The study may contribute to improved geriatric assessment protocols and guide future interventional research