Ultrasonographic Measurement of Severe Sarcopenia in the Elderly Subject.

Abstract

Objective: Sarcopenia is a progressive muscular disease. The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People revised protocols to include the F-A-C-S procedure. Sarcopenia severity is assessed by physical performance tests. However, these tests can be influenced by various factors. Ultrasound offers a more objective method for measuring muscle mass and assessing sarcopenia severity. This study aims to determine reliable ultrasound measurements for objectively evaluating sarcopenia severity in older adults.

Design: A prospective study was conducted, assessing 200 patients over 75, with sarcopenia identified via SARC-F questionnaire, grip strength, and chair stand test. Ultrasound measured muscle thickness in the rectus femoris and other muscles. Comparative analyses divided patients into non-severe sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia groups, with ROC curves and logistic regression to evaluate ultrasound measurements' discriminative power.

Results: Muscle thickness, particularly of the rectus femoris, significantly correlated with sarcopenia severity. Ultrasound measurements accurately discriminated sarcopenia severity with a ROC curve AUC of 0.629. Logistic regression confirmed rectus femoris thickness as a predictive measure for severe sarcopenia.

Conclusion: Ultrasound measurement of rectus femoris muscle thickness is a promising tool for diagnosing sarcopenia severity, enhancing early identification and improving management strategies for the elderly.