Determination of the frequency of sarcopenia in patients admitted with COPD diagnosis with the SARC-F survey.

Introduction: Sarcopenia is recognized as a consequence of hormones, immune system changes, and chronic inflammatory diseases that occur with aging. For the diagnosis of sarcopenia, the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) criteria are used. Furthermore, the fat-free mass index (FFMI), a marker of sarcopenia, is used to predict sarcopenic patients. In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), systemic inflammation, advanced age, sedentary lifestyle, and poor nutrition may lead to sarcopenia. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of the SARC-F questionnaire, a simple questionnaire to rapidly diagnose sarcopenia, in the prediction of sarcopenic patients secondary to COPD.

Method: Our study included patients aged 50 years and older who were diagnosed with COPD and who signed an informed consent form. Demographic data, symptoms, anthropometric measurements, pulmonary function tests, a 6-minute walk test, and blood parameters were evaluated. The SARC-F questionnaire was administered to the participants. In our study, the correlation of sarcopenic patients according to FFMI with the SARC-F questionnaire was analyzed. The significance value was accepted as p < 0.05 in the statistical analysis of the study's data.

Results: The data from 130 participants were analyzed in the study. Of the patients, 99 (76.2%) were male, 31 (23.8%) were female, and the mean age was 68.0 ± 9.6 years. According to the SARC-F results, the number of patients with < 4 points was 103 and the number of patients with ≥ 4 points was 27. According to the FFMI, the number of patients without sarcopenia was 96 and the number of patients with sarcopenia was 34. A statistically significant correlation was found between the FFMI and the sarcopenia indicators assessed by the SARC-F (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Patients' adaptation to a sedentary lifestyle, COPD exacerbations causing systemic inflammation, and advanced age increase the likelihood of sarcopenia. The advanced age of patients diagnosed with COPD normalizes the loss of muscle strength, which delays the early diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia. This study emphasizes the importance and practical usefulness of the SARC-F questionnaire in achieving the goals of early diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia in all COPD patients.