title: Validating the SARC-F: a suitable community screening tool for sarcopenia?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Using data from the Hong Kong Mr and Ms Os study, we validated the SARC-F against 3 consensus definitions of sarcopenia from Europe, Asia, and an international group, and compared the ability of all 4 measures to predict 4-year physical limitation, walking speed, and repeated chair stands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hong Kong community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four thousand men and women living in the community.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire regarding ability to carry a heavy load, walking, rising from a chair, climbing stairs, and falls frequency was administered. These questions were used to calculate the SARC-F score. Measurements, including appendicular muscle mass, were taken using dual-energy X-ray, grip strength using a dynamometer, 6-m gait speed, and time taken for repeated chair stand. Classification using the SARC-F score was compared using consensus panel criteria from international, European, and Asian sarcopenia working groups. The performance of all 4 methods was compared by examining the predictive ability for 4-year outcomes using ROC curve.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SARC-F has excellent specificity but poor sensitivity for sarcopenia classification; however, all 4 methods have comparable but modest predictive power for 4-year physical limitation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SARC-F may be considered a suitable tool for community screening for sarcopenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address: jeanwoowong@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.affiliation: The Jockey Club Centre for Osteoporosis Care and Control, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Geriatric Medicine and Endocrinology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Morley
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Sarcopenia; physical limitation; screening