Validation of the Italian Version of the SARC-F Questionnaire to Assess Sarcopenia in Older Adults

Background: SARC-F is a simple sarcopenia screening tool. This study aimed to examine the validity of the Italian version of SARC-F. Methods: A total of 97 elderly individuals (37/60 males/females, 65 years and older) who met the study’s selection criteria were included. SARC-F was translated into the Italian language in a culturally responsive manner. The total score was calculated by adding the scores on the five items. The participants were divided into two groups according to the total score (SARC-F < 4 vs. SARC-F ≥ 4), and their associations with various factors (handgrip test, chair stand test, and Skeletal Muscle Index assessed by DXA) have been examined by gender. In addition, the tool’s validity was analyzed by comparing it with different international working group diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia. Results: The total prevalence of sarcopenia according to the SARC-F was 14.2% and, specifically, 12.8% among men and 14.3% in women. The sensitivity of the SARC-F was (male (M): 11–50% and female (F): 22–36%) medium-low compared with the European, international, and Asian criteria of sarcopenia; however, SARC-F showed a high specificity (M: 77.3–100% and F: 79.5–100%) and a moderate Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of (0.669 (CI95%: 0.358–0.830). The participants in the SARC-F ≥ 4 group had poorer handgrip for EWGSOP2 (p < 0.001) and chair stand (p < 0.001) than the participants in the SARC-F < 4 group. Conclusions: The Italian language version of SARC-F showed high specificity, moderate reliability, and good associations with other predictive tests. The Italian version of SARC-F appears to be a useful screening tool for the diagnosis of sarcopenia in Italian elderly populations.     

Sarcopenia Screened by the SARC-F Questionnaire and Physical Performances of Elderly Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives

Screening for sarcopenia in daily practice can be challenging. Our objective was to explore whether the SARC-F questionnaire is a valid screening tool for sarcopenia (defined by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health [FNIH] criteria). Moreover, we evaluated the physical performance of older women according to the SARC-F questionnaire.

German Version of SARC-F: Translation,Adaption, and Validation

ObjectivesTranslation, adaptation, and validation of the German version of the SARC-F for community-dwelling older adults in Germany.DesignCross-sectional.Setting and Participants117 community-dwelling outpatients with a mean age of 79.1 ± 5.2 years were included in the study; 94 (80.4%) of them were female. Sixty-three (53.8%) had a positive SARC-F score of ≥4 points. According to the definition of sarcopenia from the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2), 8 patients (6.8%) were identified as sarcopenic and 57 (48.7%) as probable sarcopenic.MethodsAccording to EWGSOP2, probable sarcopenia was defined for patients with reduced hand grip strength (women: <16.0 kg; men: <27.0 kg) and/or impaired chair-rise time (both genders: >15 seconds). Patients with additional low skeletal muscle index were classified as sarcopenic (women: <5.5 kg/m²; men: <7.0 kg/m²). Translation and cultural adaption was composed of 7 different steps that were in general based on the guidelines put forward by the World Health Organization. Validation include test-retest and the inter-rater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient) as well as internal consistency (Cronbach alpha). Furthermore, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the SARC-F were calculated. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis was performed to calculate the area under the curve.ResultsThe translated and culturally adapted version of the SARC-F for the German language has shown excellent inter-rater reliability and good test-retest reliability. The internal consistency is acceptable. Sensitivity (63%) and specificity (47%) for sarcopenia is low. For detecting patients with probable sarcopenia, the SARC-F in the German version has shown 75% sensitivity and 67% specificity.Conclusions and ImplicationsBecause of a low sensitivity for detecting sarcopenia but an acceptable sensitivity for identifying probable sarcopenia, the German version of the SARC-F is a suitable tool for case finding of probable sarcopenia.     

Translation and Validation of the Spanish Version of the SARC-F Questionnaire to Assess Sarcopenia in Older People

The journal of nutrition, health & aging - The revised European consensus on sarcopenia definition and diagnosis (EWGSOP2) includes the SARC-F questionnaire, the most valid and consistent...     

Dietary Patterns and Frailty in Older Korean Adults: Results from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study

There are few studies on dietary patterns and frailty in Asians, and the results are controversial. Therefore, this study examined the association between dietary patterns and frailty in older Korean adults using the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS). The sample consisted of 511 subjects, aged 70–84 years, community-dwelling older people from the KFACS. Dietary data were obtained from the baseline study (2016–2017) using two nonconsecutive 24-h dietary recalls, and dietary patterns were extracted using reduced rank regression. Frailty was measured by a modified version of the Fried Frailty Phenotype (FFP) in both the baseline (2016) and the first follow-up study (2018). A logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between dietary patterns and frailty status in 2018. The “meat, fish, and vegetables” pattern was inversely associated with pre-frailty (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.21–0.81, p for trend = 0.009) and exhaustion (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.20–0.85, p for trend = 0.020). The “milk” pattern was not significantly associated with frailty status or the FFP components. In conclusion, a dietary pattern with a high consumption of meat, fish, and vegetables was associated with a lower likelihood of pre-frailty.     

Reliability and Concurrent Validity of the SARC-F and Its Modified Versions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

ObjectivesSarcopenia, being prevalent in up to 40% of older adults, is associated with adverse health outcomes. The international sarcopenia guidelines recommend screening for sarcopenia using the SARC-F. A previous meta-analysis (2017) reported poor validity of the SARC-F among community-dwelling older adults. Since then, modified SARC-F versions were developed and new sarcopenia definitions were published, including the SARC-F for case-finding. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the reliability of the SARC-F and its concurrent validity to identify sarcopenia.DesignSystematic review and meta-analyses.Setting and ParticipantsAdults (all ages) from any study population.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, and CINAHL (January 1, 2013, to April 6, 2020). Articles were included if they reported on the reliability and/or concurrent validity of the (modified) SARC-F. No restrictions were applied for sex, age, study population, or sarcopenia definition. Reliability measures included inter-rater reliability, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency. Meta-analyses were performed for concurrent validity.ResultsThe 29 included articles included 21,855 individuals (mean age of 63.3±14.6 years, 61.3% females) among community-dwelling (n = 16), geriatric inpatient (n = 5), geriatric outpatient (n = 2), nursing home (n = 2), and long-term care (n = 1) populations. The SARC-F had good (2/4 articles) to excellent (2/4 articles) inter-rater reliability, moderate (1/6 articles) to good (5/6 articles) test-retest reliability, and low (4/8 articles) to high (4/8 articles) internal consistency. The SARC-F had low to moderate sensitivity (28.9%-55.3%) and moderate to high specificity (68.9%-88.9%) according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP; n = 13), revised EWGSOP definition (EWGSOP2; n = 6), Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS; n = 13), Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH; n = 8), International Working Group on Sarcopenia (IWGS; n = 9), and Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders (n = 2). The SARC-CalF had low to moderate sensitivity (45.9%-57.2%) and high specificity (87.7%-91.3%) according to the EWGSOP (n = 5), AWGS (n = 4), FNIH (n = 3), and IWGS (n = 3).Conclusions and ImplicationsDespite the good reliability of the SARC-F, its low to moderate sensitivity and moderate to high specificity make it nonoptimal to use for sarcopenia screening. It is recommended to apply the diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia without screening.     

Screening Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: SARC-F vs SARC-F Combined With Calf Circumference (SARC-CalF)

Objectives

To compare the diagnostic value of the 5-component questionnaire that measures strength, assistance walking, rise from a chair, climb stairs, and falls (SARC-F) and SARC-F combined with calf circumference (SARC-CalF) for screening sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults.

Utility of SARC-F for Assessing Physical Function in Elderly Patients With Cardiovascular Disease

Objectives

A simple and inexpensive tool for screening of sarcopenia would be helpful for clinicians. The present study was performed to determine whether the SARC-F questionnaire is useful in screening of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) for impaired physical function.

The Inverse Association of Sarcopenia and Protein-Source Food and Vegetable Intakes in the Korean Elderly: The Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study

The aging population contributes to increasing economic and social burden worldwide. Sarcopenia, an age-related degenerative disease and progressive disorder, is characterized by a reduction in skeletal muscle mass and function. This study aims to assess the association between dietary factors and sarcopenia in the Korean elderly using nationwide data. A total of 801 subjects aged 70–84 years were included in this analysis. Subjects were divided into two groups: sarcopenic and nonsarcopenic groups according to the sarcopenia criteria established by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. Nutrient and food intakes were assessed using a 24-h recall method. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between sarcopenia and food group and nutrient intakes. In the multivariable models, the meat/fish/egg/legume food group, vegetable group, and total food intake were inversely associated with the prevalence of sarcopenia. The high intakes of energy, carbohydrate, protein, fiber, zinc, carotene, and vitamin B₆ were associated with the lower prevalence of sarcopenia. Therefore, consuming sufficient nutrients through various protein source foods and vegetables will help prevent sarcopenia in the Korean elderly.     

Nutritional Status and Frailty in Community-Dwelling Older Korean Adults: The Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study

Objectives

To examine the association between nutritional status and frailty in older adults.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Community-dwelling older adults were recruited from 10 study sites in South Korea.

Participants

1473 volunteers aged 70–84 years without severe cognitive impairment and who participated in the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS) conducted in 2016.

Measurements

Nutritional status was measured using the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF). Frailty was assessed with the Fried’s frailty index. The relationship between nutritional status and frailty was examined using the multinomial regression analysis, adjusting for covariates.

Results

Of the respondents 14.3% had poor nutrition (0.8% with malnutrition, 13.5% at risk of malnutrition). There were 10.7% who were frail, with 48.5% being prefrail, and 40.8% robust. Poor nutrition was related to a significantly increased risk of being prefrail (odds ratio [OR]: 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09–2.32) and frail (OR: 3.30, 95% CI: 1.96–5.54).

Conclusion

Poor nutritional status is strongly associated with frailty in older adults. More research to understand the interdependency between nutritional status and frailty may lead to better management of the two geriatric conditions.

     

Telomere Length and Frailty: The Helsinki Birth Cohort Study

Objectives

Telomere length is associated with aging-related pathologies. Although the association between telomere length and frailty has been studied previously, only a few studies assessing longitudinal changes in telomere length and frailty exist.

Association of Depressive Mood and Frailty With Mortality and Health Care Utilization: Korean National Cohort Study

ObjectivesTo investigate the association of depressive mood and frailty with mortality and health care utilization (HCU) and identify the coexisting effect of depressive mood and frailty in older adults.DesignA retrospective study using nationwide longitudinal cohort data.Setting and ParticipantsA total of 27,818 older adults age 66 years from the National Screening Program for Transitional Ages between 2007 and 2008, part of the National Health Insurance Service–Senior cohort.MethodsDepressive mood and frailty were measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale and Timed Up and Go test, respectively. Outcomes were mortality and HCU, including long-term care services (LTCS), hospital admissions, and total length of stay (LOS) from the index date to December 31, 2015. Cox proportional hazards regression and zero-inflated negative binomial regression were performed to identify differences in outcomes by depressive mood and frailty.ResultsParticipants with depressive mood and frailty represented 50.9% and 2.4%, respectively. The prevalence of mortality and LTCS use in the overall participants was 7.1% and 3.0%, respectively. More than 3 hospital admissions (36.7%) and total LOS above 15 days (53.2%) were the most common. Depressive mood was associated with LTCS use [hazard ratio (HR) 1.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05–1.42] and hospital admissions [incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.05, 95% CI 1.02–1.08]. Frailty had associations with mortality risk (HR 1.96, 95% CI 1.44–2.68), LTCS use (HR 4.86, 95% CI 3.45–6.84), and LOS (IRR 1.30, 95% CI 1.06–1.60). The coexistence of depressive mood and frailty was associated with increased LOS (IRR 1.55, 95% CI 1.16–2.07).Conclusions and ImplicationsOur findings highlight the need to focus on depressive mood and frailty to reduce mortality and HCU. Identifying combined problems in older adults may contribute to healthy aging by reducing adverse health outcomes and the burden of health care costs.     

SARC-F for Screening of Sarcopenia Among Older Adults: A Meta-analysis of Screening Test Accuracy

Objective

To examine the screening ability of SARC-F for older adults using a meta-analysis.

The Added Value of SARC-F to Prescreening Using FRAX for Hip Fracture Prevention in Older Community Adults

Objectives

To examine the potential added value of a simple 5-item questionnaire for sarcopenia screening (SARC-F) to the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) for hip fracture risk prediction, in order to identify at-risk older adults for screening with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

Sarcopenia in Asia: Consensus Report of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia, a newly recognized geriatric syndrome, is characterized by age-related decline of skeletal muscle plus low muscle strength and/or physical performance. Previous studies have confirmed the association of sarcopenia and adverse health outcomes, such as falls, disability, hospital admission, long term care placement, poorer quality of life, and mortality, which denotes the importance of sarcopenia in the health care for older people. Despite the clinical significance of sarcopenia, the operational definition of sarcopenia and standardized intervention programs are still lacking. It is generally agreed by the different working groups for sarcopenia in the world that sarcopenia should be defined through a combined approach of muscle mass and muscle quality, however, selecting appropriate diagnostic cutoff values for all the measurements in Asian populations is challenging. Asia is a rapidly aging region with a huge population, so the impact of sarcopenia to this region is estimated to be huge as well. Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) aimed to promote sarcopenia research in Asia, and we collected the best available evidences of sarcopenia researches from Asian countries to establish the consensus for sarcopenia diagnosis. AWGS has agreed with the previous reports that sarcopenia should be described as low muscle mass plus low muscle strength and/or low physical performance, and we also recommend outcome indicators for further researches, as well as the conditions that sarcopenia should be assessed. In addition to sarcopenia screening for community-dwelling older people, AWGS recommends sarcopenia assessment in certain clinical conditions and healthcare settings to facilitate implementing sarcopenia in clinical practice. Moreover, we also recommend cutoff values for muscle mass measurements (7.0 kg/m² for men and 5.4 kg/m² for women by using dual X-ray absorptiometry, and 7.0 kg/m² for men and 5.7 kg/m² for women by using bioimpedance analysis), handgrip strength (<26 kg for men and <18 kg for women), and usual gait speed (<0.8 m/s). However, a number of challenges remained to be solved in the future. Asia is made up of a great number of ethnicities. The majority of currently available studies have been published from eastern Asia, therefore, more studies of sarcopenia in south, southeastern, and western Asia should be promoted. On the other hand, most Asian studies have been conducted in a cross-sectional design and few longitudinal studies have not necessarily collected the commonly used outcome indicators as other reports from Western countries. Nevertheless, the AWGS consensus report is believed to promote more Asian sarcopenia research, and most important of all, to focus on sarcopenia intervention studies and the implementation of sarcopenia in clinical practice to improve health care outcomes of older people in the communities and the healthcare settings in Asia.     

Development of a Frailty Phenotype Questionnaire for Use in Screening Community-Dwelling Older Adults

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to develop a screening questionnaire for frailty based on the Fried frailty phenotype (FFP) in community-dwelling older adults.DesignCross-sectional data analysis of a cohort study.Setting and ParticipantsThe study used baseline data from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Survey, a multicenter longitudinal study undertaken in 10 urban, rural, and suburban communities in Korea between 2016 and 2017. A total of 2917 older adults aged 70 to 84 years were included in the analysis, who were administered questionnaires and physical function tests.MethodsGait speed and grip strength were measured, and all participants completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and answered questions about weight loss and exhaustion based on FFP.ResultsFive questions were chosen to screen for FFP: fatigue (exhaustion), resistance (weakness), ambulation (slowness), inactivity, and loss of weight. The Frailty Phenotype Questionnaire (FPQ; range of 0-5) was well correlated with the Fried frailty scale (range of 0-5) (r = 0.643; P < .001). Frailty based on the FPQ score (≥3 of 5) showed satisfactory diagnostic accuracy for FFP (area under the curve = 0.89), with high sensitivity (81.7%) and specificity (82.5%).Conclusions and ImplicationsThe FPQ is a highly accurate screening tool for FFP in community-dwelling older adults.     

Sarcopenia in Parkinson Disease: Comparison of Different Criteria and Association With Disease Severity

Objectives

In Parkinson disease (PD), sarcopenia may represent the common downstream pathway that from motor and nonmotor symptoms leads to the progressive loss of resilience, frailty, and disability. Here we (1) assessed the prevalence of sarcopenia in older adults with PD using 3 different criteria, testing their agreement, and (2) evaluated the association between PD severity and sarcopenia.

Relationships between Pre-Stroke SARC-F Scores,Disability, and Risk of Malnutrition and Functional Outcomes after Stroke—A Prospective Cohort Study

SARC-F is a screening tool for sarcopenia; however, it has not yet been established whether SARC-F scores predict functional outcomes. Therefore, we herein investigated the relationship between SARC-F scores and functional outcomes in stroke patients. The primary outcome in the present study was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 3 months after stroke. The relationship between SARC-F scores and poor functional outcomes was examined using a logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, the applicability of SARC-F scores to the assessment of poor functional outcomes was analyzed based on the area under the receiver operating curve (ROC). Eighty-one out of the 324 patients enrolled in the present study (25%) had poor functional outcomes (mRS ≥ 4). The results of the multivariate analysis revealed a correlation between SARC-F scores (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.05–1.59, p = 0.02) and poor functional outcomes. A cut-off SARC-F score ≥ 4 had low-to-moderate sensitivity (47.4%) and high specificity (87.3%). The present results suggest that the measurement of pre-stroke SARC-F scores is useful for predicting the outcomes of stroke patients.     

Sarcopenia in Korean Community-Dwelling Adults Aged 70 Years and Older: Application of Screening and Diagnostic Tools From the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 Update

ObjectiveTo describe the prevalence of sarcopenia in a large group of community-dwelling older adults using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 definition and algorithm.DesignCross-sectional data analysis of a cohort study.SettingThe Nationwide Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS).ParticipantsA total of 2123 ambulatory community-dwelling older adults, aged 70 to 84 years (mean, 75.9 ± 3.9 years; 49.5% women) were enrolled in the KFACS.MethodsAppendicular skeletal muscle mass was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Physical function was assessed by handgrip strength, usual gait speed, the 5-times-sit-to-stand test, the timed up-and-go test, and the Short Physical Performance Battery. In a case-finding assessment, screening for sarcopenia was performed using the calf circumference (CC), SARC-F questionnaire, and SARC-F combined with CC (SARC-CalF).ResultsAccording to the AWGS 2019 algorithm, 43.5%, 7.5%, and 26.0% of the subjects in the whole study sample were classified as those at risk for sarcopenia according to CC, SARC-F, and SARC-CalF, respectively. The prevalence rates of possible sarcopenia using 3 screening tools for case-finding and muscle strength or physical performance tests according to the AWGS 2019 diagnostic algorithm were 20.1% in men and 29.2% in women. The prevalence rates of sarcopenia, when defined as low muscle mass plus low handgrip strength and/or slow gait speed, were significantly higher according to the AWGS 2019 (21.3% in men and 13.8% in women) than the AWGS 2014 (10.3% in men and 8.1% in women) definitions. The prevalence of severe sarcopenia was 6.4% in men and 3.2% in women.Conclusions/ImplicationsThe results of our study suggest that the use of CC and SARC-CalF to screen for possible sarcopenia may be more suited than using the SARC-F questionnaire alone according to the AWGS 2019 diagnostic algorithm in community-dwelling adults aged 70 to 84 years. The prevalence of sarcopenia was significantly higher according to the AWGS 2019 than AWGS 2014 criteria.     

The Relationship Between the Dietary Inflammatory Index and Incident Frailty: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

Objective

Inflammation is key risk factor for several conditions in the elderly. However, the relationship between inflammation and frailty is still unclear. We investigated whether higher dietary inflammatory index (DII) scores were associated with higher incidence of frailty in a cohort of North Americans.