title: A simple anthropometric tool for the assessment of pre-sarcopenia in postmenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this research was to explore the performance of anthropometric tools in the assessment of low muscle mass in a group of postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty consecutive ambulatory postmenopausal women were studied. A complete clinical examination and an anthropometric evaluation following a standardized procedure were performed. Three indicators were devised: upper limb adjusted perimeter (ULAP), lower limb adjusted perimeter (LLAP), and appendicular adjusted perimeter (AAP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen sarcopenic patients (32%) were identified using the DXA appendicular lean mass/h2threshold. ULAP and AAP correctly classified 82% of the patients, while LLAP showed a lower performance (72%). The sensitivity and specificity values of ULAP and AAP were higher than those obtained using LLAP; their positive and negative predictive values were 65.2%, 96.3% and 68.4%, 90.3%, respectively. A highly significant concordance was observed for the three anthropometric indicators.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The availability of reliable and simple clinical instruments to identify low muscle mass is of great relevance. Anthropometric methods reported in this paper could represent an innovative resource for muscle mass assessment in daily practice. The contribution of these approaches in the detection and management of sarcopenia should allow the physician to make early interventions and thus prevent or modify its relevant health consequences.
authors.affiliation: a Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Rosario , Rosario , Santa Fe , Argentina.|b Centro de Estudios del Climaterio , Hospital Provincial del Centenario , Rosario , Argentina.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Morosano
authors.affiliation: a Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Rosario , Rosario , Santa Fe , Argentina.|b Centro de Estudios del Climaterio , Hospital Provincial del Centenario , Rosario , Argentina.
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Menoyo
authors.affiliation: a Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Rosario , Rosario , Santa Fe , Argentina.|b Centro de Estudios del Climaterio , Hospital Provincial del Centenario , Rosario , Argentina.
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Tomat
authors.affiliation: a Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Rosario , Rosario , Santa Fe , Argentina.|b Centro de Estudios del Climaterio , Hospital Provincial del Centenario , Rosario , Argentina.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Masoni
authors.affiliation: a Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Rosario , Rosario , Santa Fe , Argentina.|c Consejo de Investigaciones, Universidad Nacional de Rosario , Rosario , Argentina.|d IDICER-CONICET , Instituto de Inmunología Clínica y Experimental de Rosario, Immunology of Rosario, Universidad Nacional de Rosario , Rosario , Santa Fe , Argentina.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pezzotto
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Sarcopenia; anthropometric tools; low muscle mass