Develpment of a regression model for the prediction of sarcopenia among older adults

The study is a case-control study for the early detection and prediction of sarcopenia.

Currently, the gold standard for diagnosing sarcopenia is DEXA scan but it is expensive and not available in most health care centers and not feasible to be used at a community level and physical performance measure are race or population specific hence there is a need to develop an easy and feasible prediction or risk stratification model.

Permission was sought from Institutional research committee, School Of Allied Health Sciences, MAHE and Institutional Ethics committee, Kasturba Medical College and Kasturba Hospital, Manipal.

Subjects were identified through camps, institutions and associations, they will be screened based on the inclusion criteria. Participant Information Sheet (PIS) was given and written Informed Consent(IC) was obtained. Participants were screened based on the inclusion criteria. The Individuals were screened for risk factors: Age, Gender, BMI, and history of smoking, history of alcoholism, physical inactivity, malnutrition, history of depression, History of diabetes mellitus type 2. Investigator conducted testing of grip strength using Jamar dynamometer and quadriceps strength using hand-held dynamometer and physical performance was measured by using 6-meter walk test and Short Physical Performance battery. Investigator administered SARC F questionnaire and measured the percentage of skeletal muscle mass using BIA and participants were classified into cases (sarcopenia) and controls (non-sarcopenic).

Binary logistic regression was used to determine the odds ratio and to develop the model. Level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. A regression model for the risk of sarcopenia was developed.

The regression model is Risk of sarcopenia= Exp [-0.193+0.405(age) -1.5549(BMI) +1.382 (physical activity) -1.882 (grip strength) -0.482 (quadriceps strength) - 5.399 (SPPB balance) + 1.56 ( SARC F score)] with a R square value of 0.72