👤 Authors: Maria Claudia Bernardes Spexoto, Roberta de Oliveira Máximo, Patrícia Silva Tofani, Mariane Marques Luiz, Valdete Regina Guandalini, Dayane Capra de Oliveira, Aline Fernanda de Souza Canelada, Andrew Steptoe, Cesar de Oliveira, Tiago da Silva Alexandre
Do muscle strength cut-offs used to define sarcopenia affect trajectories of disability progression in basic activities of daily living in older adults?
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to analyse trajectories of disability progression in basic activities of daily living (BADLs) as a function of sarcopenia, using different cut-off points for defining low muscle strength (LMS).
METHODS
A longitudinal study included 3,328 participants from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), aged 60 years or older, with no BADL disability at baseline. Sarcopenia was defined according to the EWGSOP2 criteria, using various LMS cut-offs (grip strength: <36/23; <32/21; <30/20; <27/16; <26/16 kg for men/women).
Trajectories of disability progression in BADLs were analysed over twelve years using generalised linear mixed models, adjusted for sociodemographic, behavioural, clinical, and anthropometric characteristics.
RESULTS
Probable sarcopenia was associated with worse trajectories of disability progression in BADLs only when LMS was defined by higher cut-offs: <30/20 kg (β = 0.013; 95%CI: 0.007-0.020); <32/21 kg (β = 0.012; 95%CI: 0.006-0.018); and <36/23 kg (β = 0.016; 95%CI: 0.011-0.022). Sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia were associated with worse trajectories of disability progression in BADLs, regardless of the LMS cut-off point used, with a modest effect size for severe sarcopenia when LMS was defined as <36/23 kg (β = 0.021; 95%CI: 0.011-0.031).
CONCLUSION
Probable sarcopenia was associated with worse trajectories of disability progression in BADLs when higher cut-off points were used to define low muscle strength (LMS), whereas sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia were associated with BADLs disability progression regardless of the cut-off point applied.
