Prevalence of sarcopenia in patiets admitted to clinical nutrition outpatient clinic

Background: Sarcopenia is a skeletal muscle disorder characterized by decreased muscle strength and mass and caused by ageing, malnutrition (MN), diseases and immobility. This study aims to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients aged 60 and over those admitted to the Clinical Nutrition Outpatient Clinic (CNOC) in Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, in 2020. Materials and Method: 177 patients aged 60 and over were included in the study. MN risk was assessed with Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated with body weight and height of the patients. Muscle strength, muscle mass and gait speed were used to diagnose sarcopenia. SARC-F and SARC-F + Calf Circumference (CC) questionnaires were also used to screen sarcopenia. Walking speed was measured with the 4-meter walking test, muscle strength was measured with a hand dynamometer, and appendicular muscle mass (ASM) was measured with multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis. Results: 48.6% (n=86) of the patients were male and 51.4% (n=91) were female. The mean BMI was 23.54±4.92 kg/m2 in men and 24.60±5.42 kg/m2 in women. 17.4% of men and 12.1% of women were underweight. The prevalence of MN risk was 49.7%. The ASM index (ASMI) was 6.09±0.62 kg/m2 in underweight patients, 6.91±0.77 kg/m2 in those with normal-weight, 7.59±0.75 kg/m2 in overweight individuals, and 8.27±0.80 kg/m2 in obese ones. MN risk patients showed lower muscle strength in 84.1%, lower walking speed in 77.3%, and lower ASMI in 26.1%. According to EWGSOP2 (European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2), 75.7% of the paticipants had probable sarcopenia, 14.7% had confirmed sarcopenia and 11.2% had severe sarcopenia. SARC-F and SARC-F+CC questionnaires showed higher scores in 29.4% and 30.5% of the patients concurrently. Conclusion: A significant number of old aged patients admitted to the Clinical Nutrition Outpatient Clinics with nutritional problems also showed sarcopenia. The diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia is essential in elderly patients who are treated and followed up with the diagnosis of MN.