title: Sarcopenia and post-hospital outcomes in older adults: A longitudinal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sarcopenia poses a significant problem for older adults, yet very little is known about this medical condition in the hospital setting. The aims of this hospital-based study were to determine: (i) the prevalence of sarcopenia; (ii) factors associated with sarcopenia; and (iii) the association of sarcopenia with adverse clinical outcomes post-hospitalisation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a longitudinal analysis of consecutive patients aged ≥70 years admitted to a Geriatric Management and Evaluation Unit (GEMU) ward. Sarcopenia was classified using the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) algorithm, which included: handgrip strength, gait speed, and muscle mass using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). Outcomes were assessed at 12-months post-hospital discharge, and included both mortality and admission to a hospital Emergency Department (ED). Kaplan-Meier methods were used to estimate survival, with Cox proportion hazard models then applied. All regression analyses controlled for age, sex, and co-morbidity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  172 patients (72% female) with a mean (SD) age of 85.2 (6.4) years were included. Sarcopenia was present in 69 (40.1%) of patients. Patients with sarcopenia were twice as likely to die in the 12-months post-hospitalisation (HR, 95% CI=2.23, 1.15-4.34), but did not have an increased likelihood of ED admission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sarcopenia showed an independent association with 12-month post-hospital mortality in older adults. With the new recognition of sarcopenia as a medical condition with its own unique ICD-10-CM code, awareness and diagnosis of sarcopenia in clinical settings is paramount.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Epidemiologic Research Department at Instituto Nacional de Geriatría, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Mario Ulises
authors.initials: MU
authors.lastname: Pérez-Zepeda
authors.affiliation: Geriatrics Department, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sgaravatti
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Geriatric Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia. Electronic address: e.dent@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dent
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients; D010351:Patient Discharge; D015995:Prevalence; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013021:South Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends
keywords: Aged; Muscle mass; Muscle strength; Sarcopenia/complications; Sarcopenia/mortality