Marcella Campos Lima da Luz1, Cláudia Porto Sabino Pinho2, Gleyce Kelly de Araújo Bezerra3, Maria da Conceição Chaves de Lemos3, Alcides da Silva Diniz3, Poliana Coelho Cabral3. 1. Programa de Pós Graduação em Nutrição, Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE, Brazil; Hospital das Clínicas de Pernambuco, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE, Brazil. Electronic address: cellacamposlima@gmail.com. 2. Hospital das Clínicas de Pernambuco, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE, Brazil. 3. Programa de Pós Graduação em Nutrição, Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Recife, PE, Brazil.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Few studies have investigated the performance of screening tools in truly sarcopenic individuals, especially subgroups of this population, or in comparison to previous and current criteria for the definition of sarcopenia. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the performance of SARC-F and SARC-CalF in screening for sarcopenia in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in comparison to the diagnostic criteria proposed by the 2010 (1) and 2019 (2) European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP). METHODS: A methodological, cross-sectional study was conducted involving male and female patients ≥60 years of age diagnosed with PD in outpatient care. The risk of sarcopenia was assessed using the SARC-F and SARC-CalF questionnaires, the latter of which includes the calf circumference as an additional item. RESULTS: Sixty patients were evaluated (mean age: 68.9 ± 6.5 years). The prevalence of sarcopenia was 21.7% according to EWGSOP-2 and 55.0% according to EWGSOP-1. Positive screening for sarcopenia was 30% according to the SARC-F and 36.7% according to SARC-CalF. The sensitivity of the SARC-F for the detection of sarcopenia was 27.2% and 23.1% using the criteria of the 2010 and 2019 consensuses, respectively. The comparative analysis of the SARC-CalF revealed a better performance in the diagnostic discrimination with the addition of calf circumference, with sensitivity ranging from 53.8 to 54.5%. Higher sensitivity was found on items addressing the ability to stand up from a chair and climb stairs (69.2%) and the occurrence of falls (76.9%) compared to the use of the complete questionnaire. CONCLUSION: Relatively low sensitivity and an underestimation of sarcopenia were found in the analysis of the SARC-F as a screening tool for sarcopenia. Thus, a significant number of sarcopenic patients would not be identified using this screening tool alone. The SARC-CalF performed better than the SARC-F.
INTRODUCTION: Few studies have investigated the performance of screening tools in truly sarcopenic individuals, especially subgroups of this population, or in comparison to previous and current criteria for the definition of sarcopenia. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the performance of SARC-F and SARC-CalF in screening for sarcopenia in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in comparison to the diagnostic criteria proposed by the 2010 (1) and 2019 (2) European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP). METHODS: A methodological, cross-sectional study was conducted involving male and female patients ≥60 years of age diagnosed with PD in outpatient care. The risk of sarcopenia was assessed using the SARC-F and SARC-CalF questionnaires, the latter of which includes the calf circumference as an additional item. RESULTS: Sixty patients were evaluated (mean age: 68.9 ± 6.5 years). The prevalence of sarcopenia was 21.7% according to EWGSOP-2 and 55.0% according to EWGSOP-1. Positive screening for sarcopenia was 30% according to the SARC-F and 36.7% according to SARC-CalF. The sensitivity of the SARC-F for the detection of sarcopenia was 27.2% and 23.1% using the criteria of the 2010 and 2019 consensuses, respectively. The comparative analysis of the SARC-CalF revealed a better performance in the diagnostic discrimination with the addition of calf circumference, with sensitivity ranging from 53.8 to 54.5%. Higher sensitivity was found on items addressing the ability to stand up from a chair and climb stairs (69.2%) and the occurrence of falls (76.9%) compared to the use of the complete questionnaire. CONCLUSION: Relatively low sensitivity and an underestimation of sarcopenia were found in the analysis of the SARC-F as a screening tool for sarcopenia. Thus, a significant number of sarcopenic patients would not be identified using this screening tool alone. The SARC-CalF performed better than the SARC-F.