Evaluation of the relationship between disease activity and sarcopenia in patients with psoriatic arthritis

Objective: Sarcopenia is an aging-related loss of muscle mass and function. Its incidence is increasing due to increased inflammatory burden. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic destructive inflammatory arthritis involving axial and peripheral joints. In this study, we aimed to investigate the correlation of disease activity with diagnostic parameters of sarcopenia in PsA patients. Methods: Forty-three patients aged ≥55 years with PsA and 31 healthy adult volunteers aged ≥55 years were included in this study. PsA patients were then divided into two groups according to the presence of sarcopenia. Demographic and clinical data of all groups were recorded and compared between groups. Results: Among the PsA patients included in the study, 14 were diagnosed with sarcopenia and 29 were not diagnosed with sarcopenia. The weight of patients diagnosed with sarcopenia was significantly higher (p=0.009). In addition, corticosteroid use was significantly more frequent in sarcopenic patients (p=0.03). Disease activity in psoriatic arthritis (DAPSA) scores were significantly higher in sarcopenic PsA patients compared to non-sarcopenic patients (p=0.005). There was no significant difference in CRP and ESR levels between the two groups. Elevated DAPSA scores increased the risk of sarcopenia (OR: 0.06, 95% CI: 1.005-1.119 p=0.03). In addition, DAPSA score was found to be weakly correlated with the sit-to-stand test for 5 times and moderately correlated with hand grip strength, STAR scores and walking speed. Conclusion: In our study, a significant correlation was found between DAPSA score and sarcopenia related parameters. Keywords: Psoriatic arthritis, Sarcopenia, Hand strength, Walking speed