Sonographic methods to predict type 2 diabetes patients with sarcopenia: B mode ultrasound and shear wave elastography.

Background: Type 2 diabetes accelerates the loss of muscle mass and strength. Sarcopenia is also one of the chronic complications of diabetes.

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of B mode ultrasound (BMUS) and shear wave elastography (SWE) for predicting type 2 diabetic sarcopenia.

Methods: We recorded Skeletal Muscle Mass Index (ASMI), grip strength, muscle thickness (MT), pinna angle (PA), fascicle length (FL), and the difference of Young's modulus in the relaxed states and tense states (ΔSWE). The correlations between clinical indicators and ultrasound characteristics were compared. A diagnostic model of sarcopenia was developed to assess the independent correlates and evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of sarcopenia.

Results: ASMI was significantly and positively correlated with MT and ΔSWE (r = 0.826, 0.765, P < 0.01), and grip strength was significantly and positively correlated with MT and ΔSWE (r = 0.797, 0.818, P < 0.01). MT was the most significant predictor of sarcopenia (OR = 4.576, P < 0.001), and the cut-off value of MT was 11.4 mm (AUC: 0.952).

Conclusion: BMUS and SWE can quantitatively assess muscle mass and strength, and are effective methods to predict the occurrence of sarcopenia in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.