The impact of sarcopenia and comorbidity on the predicted risk of death in the elderly

Abstract

BACKGROUND: People with comorbidity have increased life expectancy in recent years. It affects clinical outcomes, including increased risk of death, which have not been well studied in patients with sarcopenia. AIM: To study the frequency and structure of comorbidity and assess the contribution of sarcopenia in predicting the risk of death in people aged 65 years and older. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 230 people 65 years of age and older (70 men and 160 women, median age — 75 (68–79) years), who were consulted at a medical institution in St. Petersburg. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia, 2nd revision (2018). Comorbidity and predicted risk of death were studied using the Charlson comorbidity index. RESULTS: Iron deficiency anemia and chronic kidney disease C3a–С3b were detected more often (p 0.001 and p = 0.031, respectively), and obesity less often (p 0.001) in sarcopenic patients. In sarcopenic patients, comorbidity was severe [5 (4–6) points] and the risk of death from all causes was 8.89 (95% confidence interval 3.95–20.2) times higher compared with non-sarcopenic patients (p 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The significance of comorbidity was revealed, and a high probability of risk of death with sarcopenia in the elderly was revealed. This makes it possible to carry out activities that will delay the onset of death to a later age.