Background in 2010, the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) published a sarcopenia definition that aimed to foster advances in identifying and caring for people with sarcopenia. In early 2018, the Working Group met again (EWGSOP2) to update the original definition in order to reflect scientific and clinical evidence that has built over the last decade. This paper presents our updated findings. Objectives to increase consistency of research design, clinical diagnoses and ultimately, care for people with sarcopenia. Recommendations sarcopenia is a muscle disease (muscle failure) rooted in adverse muscle changes that accrue across a lifetime; sarcopenia is common among adults of older age but can also occur earlier in life. In this updated consensus paper on sarcopenia, EWGSOP2: (1) focuses on low muscle strength as a key characteristic of sarcopenia, uses detection of low muscle quantity and quality to confirm the sarcopenia diagnosis, and identifies poor physical performance as indicative of severe sarcopenia; (2) updates the clinical algorithm that can be used for sarcopenia case-finding, diagnosis and confirmation, and severity determination and (3) provides clear cut-off points for measurements of variables that identify and characterise sarcopenia. Conclusions EWGSOP2's updated recommendations aim to increase awareness of sarcopenia and its risk. With these new recommendations, EWGSOP2 calls for healthcare professionals who treat patients at risk for sarcopenia to take actions that will promote early detection and treatment. We also encourage more research in the field of sarcopenia in order to prevent or delay adverse health outcomes that incur a heavy burden for patients and healthcare systems.

/pdf/sarcopenia-revised-european-consensus-on-definition-and-4bp7en4cxo.pdf

Sarcopenia: Revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis

PREFACE The advantages which have been derived from the caution with which hypothetical statements are admitted, are in no instance more obvious than in those sciences which more particularly belong to the healing art. It therefore is necessary, that some conciliatory explanation should be offered for the present publication: in which, it is acknowledged, that mere conjecture takes the place of experiment; and, that analogy is the substitute for anatomical examination, the only sure foundation for pathological knowledge. When, however, the nature of the subject, and the circumstances under which it has been here taken up, are considered, it is hoped that the offering of the following pages to the attention of the medical public, will not be severely censured. The disease, respecting which the present inquiry is made, is of a nature highly afflictive. Notwithstanding which, it has not yet obtained a place in the classification of nosologists; some have regarded its characteristic symptoms as distinct and different diseases, and others have given its name to diseases differing essentially from it; whilst the unhappy sufferer has considered it as an evil, from the domination of which he had no prospect of escape. The disease is of long duration: to connect, therefore, the symptoms which occur in its later stages with those which mark its commencement, requires a continuance of observation of the same case, or at least a correct history of its symptoms, even for several years. Of both these advantages the writer has had the opportunities of availing himself, and has hence been led particularly to observe several other cases in which the disease existed in different stages of its progress. By these repeated observations, he hoped that he had been led to a probable conjecture as to the nature of the malady, and that analogy had suggested such means as might be productive of relief, and perhaps even of cure, if employed before the disease had been too long established. He therefore considered it to be a duty to submit his opinions to the examination of others, even in their present state of immaturity and imperfection. To delay their publication did not, indeed, appear to be warrantable. The disease had escaped particular notice; and the task of ascertaining its nature and cause by anatomical investigation, did not seem likely to be taken up by those who, from their abilities and opportunities, were most likely to accomplish it. That these friends to humanity and medical science, who have already unveiled to us many of the morbid processes by which health and life is abridged, might be excited to extend their researches to this malady, was much desired; and it was hoped, that this might be procured by the publication of these remarks. Should the necessary information be thus obtained, the writer will repine at no censurewhich the precipitate publication of mere conjectural suggestions may incur: but shall think himself fully rewarded by having excited the attention of those, who may point out the most appropriate means of relieving a tedious and most distressing malady.

An Essay on the Shaking Palsy

The new ICD-10-CM (M62.84) code for sarcopenia represents a major step forward in recognizing sarcopenia as a disease. This should lead to an increase in availability of diagnostic tools and the enthusiasm for pharmacological companies to develop drugs for sarcopenia.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jcsm.12147

Welcome to the ICD-10 code for sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia, defined as an age-associated loss of skeletal muscle function and muscle mass, occurs in approximately 6 - 22 % of older adults. This paper presents evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for screening, diagnosis and management of sarcopenia from the task force of the International Conference on Sarcopenia and Frailty Research (ICSFR). To develop the guidelines, we drew upon the best available evidence from two systematic reviews paired with consensus statements by international working groups on sarcopenia. Eight topics were selected for the recommendations: (i) defining sarcopenia; (ii) screening and diagnosis; (iii) physical activity prescription; (iv) protein supplementation; (v) vitamin D supplementation; (vi) anabolic hormone prescription; (vii) medications under development; and (viii) research. The ICSFR task force evaluated the evidence behind each topic including the quality of evidence, the benefitharm balance of treatment, patient preferences/values, and cost-effectiveness. Recommendations were graded as either strong or conditional (weak) as per the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach. Consensus was achieved via one face-to-face workshop and a modified Delphi process. We make a conditional recommendation for the use of an internationally accepted measurement tool for the diagnosis of sarcopenia including the EWGSOP and FNIH definitions, and advocate for rapid screening using gait speed or the SARC-F. To treat sarcopenia, we strongly recommend the prescription of resistance-based physical activity, and conditionally recommend protein supplementation/a protein-rich diet. No recommendation is given for Vitamin D supplementation or for anabolic hormone prescription. There is a lack of robust evidence to assess the strength of other treatment options.

International Clinical Practice Guidelines for Sarcopenia (ICFSR): Screening, Diagnosis and Management

Grip strength has been proposed as a biomarker. Supporting this proposition, evidence is provided herein that shows grip strength is largely consistent as an explanator of concurrent overall strength, upper limb function, bone mineral density, fractures, falls, malnutrition, cognitive impairment, depression, sleep problems, diabetes, multimorbidity, and quality of life. Evidence is also provided for a predictive link between grip strength and all-cause and disease-specific mortality, future function, bone mineral density, fractures, cognition and depression, and problems associated with hospitalization. Consequently, the routine use of grip strength can be recommended as a stand-alone measurement or as a component of a small battery of measurements for identifying older adults at risk of poor health status.

/pdf/grip-strength-an-indispensable-biomarker-for-older-adults-1qw3x1n8kt.pdf

Grip Strength: An Indispensable Biomarker For Older Adults.


Background: there is a lack of consensus on the diagnosis of sarcopenia. A screening and diagnostic algorithm was proposed by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP).
Objective: to assess the performance of the EWGSOP algorithm in determining the proportion of subjects suspected of having sarcopenia and selected to undergo subsequent muscle mass (MM) measurement.
Design: a cross-sectional study.
Setting: the cohorts, Frailty in Brazilian Older People Study—Rio de Janeiro (FIBRA-RJ), Brazil; Coyoacan Cohort (CC), Mexico City, Mexico; and Toledo Study for Healthy Aging (TSHA), Toledo, Spain.
Subjects: three thousand two hundred and sixty community-dwelling individuals, 65 years and older.
Methods: initially, the EWGSOP algorithm was applied using its originally proposed cut-off values for gait speed and handgrip strength; in the second step, values tailored for the specific cohorts were used.
Results: using the originally suggested EWGSOP cut-off points, 83.4% of the total cohort (94.4% in TSHA, 75.5% in FIBRA-RJ, 67.8% in CC) would have been considered as suspected of sarcopenia. Adapted cut-off values lowered the proportion of abnormal results to 34.2% (quintile-based approach) and 23.71% (z-score approach).
Conclusions: the algorithm proposed by the EWGSOP is of limited clinical utility in screening older adults for sarcopenia due to the high proportion of subjects selected to further undergo MM assessment. Tailoring cut-off values to specific characteristics of the population being studied reduces the number of people selected for MM assessment, probably improving the performance of the algorithm. Further research including the objective measure of MM is needed to determine the accuracy of these specific cut-off points.

Performance of the european working group on sarcopenia in older people algorithm in screening older adults for muscle mass assessment

Dear Editor, 
 
Sarcopenia is the age-associated progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, with higher risk of adverse outcomes [1, 2]. The cause of sarcopenia is still unclear, but the determinants are likely to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors [2–4]. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are considered the gold standard to estimate muscle mass. However, their high cost and limited availability preclude their routine use in clinical settings [5, 6]. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and bio-impedance analysis (BIA) are alternative methods for research and clinical use to measure skeletal muscle mass [7]. In the last years, BIA and DXA have been used frequently in the field of research, but it is not known to what extent the recommendations for screening and diagnosis are followed nor to what extent the suggested techniques are available in clinical practice [8]. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the availability and use of these techniques in clinical practice of Belgian and Latin American geriatricians. 
 
Geriatricians were asked four questions by a web-based survey system in order to determine availability and use of both techniques. The questions were: “Does your hospital have a BIA system?” and “Does your hospital have a DXA scanner for measuring muscle mass?” If one or both of the questions were affirmative, it was asked whether they had used the respective technique during the last month. 
 
As shown in Fig. 1 in the group of Latin Americans, 170 geriatricians were contacted of whom 94 (55.0 %) responded (Mexico, Brazil, and Costa Rica responded most frequent). In Belgium, 133 geriatricians were contacted and 50 (37.6 %) responded. The Latin American geriatricians had greater availability of both techniques (BIA and DXA) than their Belgian counterparts (22 vs 35 and 35 vs 30 %, respectively). In Latin American, BIA was more available than DXA (35 vs 30 %). In Belgium, BIA was less available than DXA (22 vs 34 %). The overall use of these techniques for measuring muscle mass was 10.0 % for DXA and 4.0 % for BIA among Belgian geriatricians. In Latin America, the reported use of both techniques was higher than in Belgium, specifically for DXA (12 vs 10 %; p < 0.0001). For BIA, the difference was less pronounced (17 vs 4 %; p = 0.18). Centers that had DXA were more likely to also have BIA available (p < 0.001); this was true in Belgium as well as in Latin America (see Table 1). 
 
 
 
Fig. 1 
 
Flowchart of the study 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 1 
 
Comparison of availability and use of DXA/BIA between Belgium and Latin American countries 
 
 
 
Availability of the techniques recommended for the measurement of muscle mass is not very broad. In Belgium, excluding university hospitals, general hospitals use only 28 % for DXA and even less for BIA (10 %). The overall availability in Latin America is comparable with the situation in Belgium with a reversed preponderance of BIA over DXA availability. Regardless from the availability, the actual use of these studies was lower for DXA with only about 10 % in both regions. In Belgium, the use of BIA in the screening for sarcopenia was negligible. Nevertheless, interpretation should be careful. Sarcopenia remains still a relatively new concept, and it can be expected that in the years to come, the knowledge of this condition will improve along with the detection of this condition. In addition, search for inexpensive and readily available detection tools should continue in fields such as anthropometry (calf circumference). Easy and available clinical indicators could provide valuable information on muscle-related disability and physical function and have a preponderant role in screening, leaving BIA and DXA for intervention decisions and follow-up.

/pdf/availability-and-use-of-dual-energy-x-rayabsorptiometry-dxa-hm0x0uwo7n.pdf

Availability and use of dual energy X-rayabsorptiometry (DXA) and bio-impedance analysis (BIA)for the evaluation of sarcopenia by belgian and latin american geriatricians

The aims of this study were to compare cut points for weakness proposed by Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Sarcopenia Project with cut points estimated with our own data; to assess the prevalence of clinically relevant handgrip strength (HGS) weakness according to published criteria across distinct populations of older adults; to estimate the ability of HGS weakness to identify slowness. This is a cross-sectional analysis of International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS) involving 1935 community-dwelling older adults, between 65 and 74 years, who completed HGS and gait speed assessment. We used baseline data from Tirana (Albania), Natal (Brazil), Manizales (Colombia), Kingston (Ontario, Canada), and Saint-Hyacinthe (Quebec, Canada). Weakness was defined according to sex-specific HGS cut points associated with slowness proposed by FNIH Sarcopenia Project. Slowness was defined as gait speed <0.8 m/s. IMIAS cut points for clinical weakness had good agreement with those proposed by FNIH. Weakness prevalence across the research sites ranged from 1.1 % (Saint-Hyacinthe) to 19.2 % (Manizales) among men. Women from Manizales (13.5 %) and Natal (19.3 %) had higher prevalence of weakness than their counterparts. FNIH cut points had a strong association with slowness, for both sexes. The IMIAS population generated cut points which were close to those proposed by FNIH. There was large variability in prevalence of weakness across our research sites. The HGS cut points for weakness proposed by FNIH performed well in IMIAS populations, providing a useful tool for screening older adults at risk for functional problems.

Clinically relevant weakness in diverse populations of older adults participating in the International Mobility in Aging Study

:
Objective: Sarcopenia, fatigue, and depression are associated with higher mortality rates and adverse outcomes in the aging population. Understanding the association among clinical variables, mainly symptoms, is important for screening and appropriately managing these conditions. The aim of this article is to evaluate the association among sarcopenia and its elements with depression and fatigue. Method: We used cross-sectional data from 2012 SABE (Salud, Bienestar y Envejecimiento)-Bogota study, which included 2,000 participants of ages ≥60 years. Sarcopenia and its elements were taken as the dependent variable, while fatigue and depression were the main independent variables. We tested the association among these through multiple logistic regression models, which were fitted for each dependent variable and adjusted for confounding variables. Results: Our findings showed that gait speed was associated with fatigue (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.05, 1.90], p = .02) as well as abnormal handgrip strength (adjusted OR = 1.40, 95% CI = [1.02, 1.93], p = .04). No other associations were significant. Conclusion: While sarcopenia and fatigue are not associated, two of the sarcopenia-defining variables are associated with fatigue; this suggests that lack of sarcopenia does not exclude undesirable outcomes related to fatigue in aging adults. Also, the lack of association between sarcopenia-defining elements and depression demonstrates that depression and fatigue are different concepts.

Mario Ulises Perez Zepeda

Papers

Performance of the european working group on sarcopenia in older people algorithm in screening older adults for muscle mass assessment

Availability and use of dual energy X-rayabsorptiometry (DXA) and bio-impedance analysis (BIA)for the evaluation of sarcopenia by belgian and latin american geriatricians

Clinically relevant weakness in diverse populations of older adults participating in the International Mobility in Aging Study

Association of Fatigue with sarcopenia and its elements: a secondary analysis of SABE-Bogotá.

P3-038: Validation of the neuropsychiatric inventory questionnaire in a group of Mexican patients with dementia