title: Prevalence of Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Chilean Elders According to an Adapted Version of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) Criteria.
abstract: Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of mass and skeletal muscle strength and has serious consequences on older people's health. The Chilean older population has a high life-expectancy, but the prevalence of functional dependence is also high.
  
  
  
  To determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in Chilean older adults and its relationship with age, gender, and body mass index (BMI).
  
  
  
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  
  Community.
  
  
  
  1,006 non-disabled, community-dwelling subjects aged 60 years or older living in Santiago.
  
  
  
  Anthropometric measurements, handgrip strength, physical performance tests, and dual-energy-x-ray-absorptiometry (DXA) scan were performed. Sarcopenia was defined using the algorithm of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP). Muscle mass was measured with DXA scan; skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) and hand dynamometry were defined with cut-off points obtained for the Chilean population. For a 3m walking speed we used the cut-off point of the EWGSOP definition. Nutritional status and obesity were defined according to World Health Organization standards. Association between sarcopenia and age, gender, BMI and lean/fat mass ratio was estimated by logistic regression models.
  
  
  
  The prevalence of sarcopenia was 19.1% (95%CI: 16.8%-21.8%), similar in men and women. There was an increasing trend of sarcopenia by age group and a decreasing trend with nutritional status. After logistic regression, sarcopenia was positively associated with age (OR=1.10; 95%CI:1.06-1.15) and falls (OR=1.83; 95%CI:1.07-3.15) and negatively associated with overweight (OR=0.31; 95%CI:0.16-0.59), obesity (OR=0.02; 95%CI:0.004-0.11), lean mass/fat mass ratio (OR=0.69; 95%CI:0.48-0.9997), knee height (OR=0.78; 95%CI:0.68-0.89) and calf circumference (OR=0.87; 95%CI:0.77-0.97).
  
  
  
  The total prevalence of sarcopenia was 19.1% increasing with age reaching 39.6% in people of 80 or more years of age. A negative association of sarcopenia with overweight, obesity and lean/fat mass ratio was observed. Although the high prevalence of obesity (35.9%), only 2% of obese people were sarcopenic.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Cecilia Albala, Public Health Nutrition Unit, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA) - University of Chile, El Líbano 5524, Casilla 138-11, Santiago, Chile, E-mail: calbala@uchile.cl.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lera
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Albala
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Angel
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hormazabal
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Márquez
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arroyo
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon / Q000379:methods; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic
keywords: Sarcopenia; community-dwelling older people; muscle mass; muscle strength