title: The Association Between the Probability of Sarcopenia and Functional Outcomes in Older Patients Undergoing In-Hospital Rehabilitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sarcopenia is a geriatric syndrome with a prevalence ranging from 5% to 50% in community-dwelling adults. It is associated with adverse outcomes including worse functional status, falls, and mortality. A paucity of studies have included an assessment of sarcopenia among older adults receiving in-hospital rehabilitation. This is, at least partially, due to the lack of simple assessment methods to reliably measure muscle mass. The objective of this study was to evaluate the probability of sarcopenia using a validated simple method and examine the association between sarcopenia and functional outcomes at discharge.
  
  
  METHODS
  One in-hospital rehabilitation setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 280 patients 65 years and older who were admitted to in-hospital rehabilitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The probability of sarcopenia was determined using a validated method that includes 3 variables: age, grip strength, and calf circumference. Two multivariable linear regression models were used to analyze the association between the probability of sarcopenia and the following functional outcome measures: (1) total Barthel index (BI) score; and (2) BI walking mobility subitem. Each analysis adjusted for the following covariates: age, gender, admission diagnoses, body mass index, comorbidity, C-reactive protein, number of medications on admission, Mini- Mental State Examination total score, and change in the functional outcome measure from admission to discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were mainly female (66%) with a mean age of 82 ± 7 years. The mean probability of sarcopenia overall was 60%. About one-half of the patients had a probability of sarcopenia ≥75% (N = 140). The remaining patients were distributed as follows: probability of sarcopenia <25% (N = 79); 25%-49% (N = 26); and 50%-74% (N = 34). The probability of sarcopenia was significantly associated with an overall worse functional status at discharge based on total BI score (point estimate -8.5; standard error 17.1; P < .0001) and ability to walk at discharge as measured with the BI walking mobility subitem (point estimate -1.3; standard error 0.5; P = .02) after adjusting for relevant covariates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings support the use of a simple screening tool for probable sarcopenia among older adults receiving in-hospital rehabilitation to increase the ability of clinicians to initiate early interventions to improve functional outcomes at discharge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation and Aged Care of the Ancelle Hospital, Cremona, Italy; Geriatric Research Group, Brescia, Italy. Electronic address: morandi.alessandro@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morandi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontology, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Graziano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Onder
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation and Aged Care of the Ancelle Hospital, Cremona, Italy.
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fodri
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation and Aged Care of the Ancelle Hospital, Cremona, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanniti
authors.affiliation: Center for Quality of Aging, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN; Division of Geriatrics, School of Medicine, Center for Quality Aging, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN; Veterans Administration Medical Center, Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Nashville, TN.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schnelle
authors.affiliation: Center for Quality of Aging, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN; Division of Geriatrics, School of Medicine, Center for Quality Aging, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN; Veterans Administration Medical Center, Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Nashville, TN.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontology, Neuroscience and Orthopedics, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Landi
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation and Aged Care of the Ancelle Hospital, Cremona, Italy; Geriatric Research Group, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Research Group, Brescia, Italy; Department of Medicina dei Sistemi, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trabucchi
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Research Group, Brescia, Italy; Department of Health Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca and Geriatric Medicine, San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy; Milan Center for Neuroscience (Neuro-Mi), Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bellelli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D055948:Sarcopenia
keywords: Sarcopenia; in-hospital rehabilitation; older adults