Prevalence and Factors Associated with Sarcopenia in Hospitalized Elderly Patients

Background/Purpose: Sarcopenia is a public health problem; however, it remains poorly evaluated during hospitalization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of sarcopenia and the factors associated with this condition in hospitalized elderly patients Methods: A total of 122 elderly individuals were evaluated in this case-control study (61=hospitalized and 61=non-hospitalized). Sarcopenia was defined and evaluated according to the criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2). The Charlson comorbidity index, geriatric depression scale, body mass index (BMI), Barthel Index, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Lawton-Brody index, and Mini Nutritional Assessment Instrument-Short Form (MNA-SF) were also used for the evaluations. Results: The prevalence of sarcopenia was 38% in hospitalized patients compared to 11% in controls. Hospitalized elderly patients showed a significant reduction in functionality, muscle strength, and mental and nutritional status compared to the controls. Sarcopenic patients were older, had a lower BMI, and obtained worse MMSE results than non-sarcopenic individuals. There was an association between the MMSE results and the BMI in patients with sarcopenia that was independent of the group. Conclusion: Sarcopenia is highly prevalent in hospitalized elderly individuals, and it is associated with cognitive state and BMI.