Frequency of sarcopenia in individuals over 65 years of age, associated factors of relationship with nutrition

Aim: Sarcopenia is a geriatric syndrome whose frequency and importance are increasing in our country and all over the world with the aging of the population.In our study, we aimed to determine the frequency of sarcopenia in the population aged 65 and over who applied to Pamukkale University Family Medicine Polyclinics , to evaluate the relationship between sarcopenia and nutrition, to investigate other affecting factors and to increase awareness in the field of preventive medicine. Materials and Methods: Our study was conducted with individuals aged 65 and over who applied to Pamukkale University Family Medicine Polyclinics for any reason between January 1 and March 31, 2025. Participants who met the inclusion criteria and received consent for the study were administered the following questionnaires; Sociodemographic-Clinical Form consisting of 11 questions, SARC-F questionnaire consisting of 5 questions that allows rapid assessment of sarcopenia risk in participants, MNA (Mini Nutritional Assessment) test was applied to evaluate the nutritional status of the participants. Afterwards, the participants' body weights, heights, upper mid-arm circumferences and calf circumferences were measured. Then, 4-meter walking speed test was performed to evaluate the participants' physical performance and finally, muscle strength was measured with a Smedley type hand dynamometer. The obtained data were analyzed with the SPSS 25.0 package program. In all analyzes, p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 140 people were included in the study, 78 (55.7%) female and 62 (44.3%) male. The mean age of the participants was found to be 69.16 ± 3.87 years. In our study, the prevalence of suspected sarcopenia calculated with SARC-F. It was found to be 13.6% (n=19). 16.4% (n=23) of the participants did not have sufficient muscle strength and were evaluated as probable/possible sarcopenic. The prevalence of those with a calf circumference below 31 cm and not having sufficient muscle mass was 12.1% (n=17) . 31.4% (n=44) of the participants had low walking speed and inadequate physical performance. According to the total MNA score in our study, 6 (4.3%) of the participants were malnourished, 54 (38.6%) were at risk of malnutrition and 80 (57.1%) were in normal nutritional status. We also found in our study that malnutrition was associated with advanced age, female gender, never being married, low education level, low income level, presence of chronic disease and smoking and alcohol use. (p<0.05). Discussion and Conclusion: In our study, sarcopenia development was associated with advanced age, never being married, low education level, low income level, active smoking, presence of chronic disease, daily use of 5 or more medications, and malnutrition or being at risk of malnutrition. According to these results, our study reveals some possible connections between the development and progression of sarcopenia in primary care patients. We believe that this study will contribute to preventive medicine practices by creating early awareness among family physicians about the development of sarcopenia and malnutrition. Keywords: Sarcopenia, malnutrition, elderly, muscle strength, muscle mass, walking speed