The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences
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J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. · Jun 2015
Association of Low Lean Mass With Frailty and Physical Performance: A Comparison Between Two Operational Definitions of Sarcopenia-Data From the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE-II).
For prevention and treatment of sarcopenia, defined as a decline in lean mass, reliable diagnostic criteria and cutpoints reflecting a clinically relevant threshold are indispensable. As of yet, various parameters have been proposed but no gold standard exists. The aim of this study was to compare cutpoints of appendicular lean mass related to body mass index (ALMBMI) or height (ALM/height(2)) regarding their association with self-reported physical limitations and frailty status in a sample of community-dwelling older adults. ⋯ This study showed striking differences between the two operational criteria ALM/height(2) and ALMBMI concerning their association with physical limitations and prefrailty/frailty. The low ALMBMI cutpoints seem suitable to detect patients at risk for negative outcomes such as frailty who might benefit from interventions targeted at improving lean mass.