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Development of a simple screening test for sarcopenia in older adults
Author(s) -
Ishii Shinya,
Tanaka Tomoki,
Shibasaki Koji,
Ouchi Yasuyoshi,
Kikutani Takeshi,
Higashiguchi Takashi,
Obuchi Shuichi P,
IshikawaTakata Kazuko,
Hirano Hirohiko,
Kawai Hisashi,
Tsuji Tetsuo,
Iijima Katsuya
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geriatrics and gerontology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1447-0594
pISSN - 1444-1586
DOI - 10.1111/ggi.12197
Subject(s) - sarcopenia , medicine , grip strength , receiver operating characteristic , confidence interval , hand strength , test (biology) , gerontology , physical therapy , physical medicine and rehabilitation , paleontology , biology
Aim To develop a simple screening test to identify older adults at high risk for sarcopenia. Methods We studied 1971 functionally independent, community‐dwelling adults aged 65 years or older randomly selected from the resident register of K ashiwa city, C hiba, J apan. Data collection was carried out between S eptember and N ovember 2012. Sarcopenia was defined based on low muscle mass measured by bioimpedance analysis and either low muscle strength characterized by handgrip or low physical performance characterized by slow gait speed. Results The prevalence of sarcopenia was 14.2% in men and 22.1% in women. After the variable selection procedure, the final model to estimate the probability of sarcopenia included three variables: age, grip strength and calf circumference. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, a measure of discrimination, of the final model was 0.939 with 95% confidence interval ( CI ) of 0.918–0.958 for men, and 0.909 with 95% CI of 0.887–0.931 for women. We created a score chart for each sex based on the final model. When the sum of sensitivity and specificity was maximized, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for sarcopenia were 84.9%, 88.2%, 54.4%, and 97.2% for men, 75.5%, 92.0%, 72.8%, and 93.0% for women, respectively. Conclusions The presence of sarcopenia could be detected using three easily obtainable variables with high accuracy. The screening test we developed could help identify functionally independent older adults with sarcopenia who are good candidates for intervention. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2014; 14 (Suppl. 1): 93–101.