Sarcopenia Identified According to the EWGSOP2 Definition in Community-Living People: Prevalence and Clinical Features

Background: The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) recently updated the definition of sarcopenia in order to reflect scientific and clinical evidences. Objective: The aim is to explore the prevalence of sarcopenia (according to the new EWGSOP2 definition) and related risk factors among an unselected sample of subjects living in community. Setting and Participants: The Longevity Check-up 7+ project is an ongoing cross-sectional study started in June 2015 and conducted in unconventional settings (ie, exhibitions, malls, and health promotion campaigns). Candidate participants are eligible for enrollment if they are at least 18 years of age. Methods: Muscle strength was assessed by handgrip strength and physical performance was evaluated by chair stand test. Results: The mean age of 11,253 subjects was 55.6 (standard deviation 11.5, from 18 to 98 years) years, and 6356 (56%) were women. Using the EWGSOP2 algorithm, 973 participants (8.6%) were identified as affected by sarcopenia, and the prevalence of sarcopenia significantly increased with age. Sarcopenia was associated with diabetes prevalence ratio (PR) 1.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06-1.89, impairment in 400-m walking performance (PR 2.16, 95% CI 1.74-2.17), and self-reported unhealthy status (PR 1.77, 95% CI 1.45-2.17). Conversely, a decreased probability of being sarcopenic was detected among subjects following a healthy diet (PR 0.79, 95% CI 0.63-0.98) and involved in regular physical activity (PR 0.79, 95% CI 0.64-0.99). Conclusions and Implications: Muscle strength and physical performance assessment should be considered as the recommended methods for the early detection of individuals at risk of probable sarcopenia.