Short summary

Sarcopenia is one of the major syndromes in geriatric patients and is associated with functional decline, falls, and fractures, a decreasing quality of life, and mortality. The prevalence of sarcopenia is as high as 33%. Major steps in securing standardized assessment and diagnosis of sarcopenia and focusing on evidence-based treatments such as nutrition and physical therapy are urgently needed. This pilot-study seeks to explore whether ultrasound can serve as a tool for diagnosing sarcopenia.

Rationale

With the latest revision of the definition of sarcopenia by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), a standardization and recommendation of assessment of sarcopenia was proposed with the algorithm Find cases, Assess, Confirm, and Severity (FACS).

The diagnosis of sarcopenia is based on muscle quantity (muscle mass) and muscle quality (strength and endurance), while the severity of sarcopenia is based on physical performance. Where muscle quantity is typically assessed via whole-body DXA scan, and has, according to EWGSOP2, an established threshold for low total muscle mass of <20 kg and <7,0 kg/m2 for men and <15 kg and < 5,5kg/m2 for women, muscle quality remains a conflicted area. This is due to the fact that no current standardization nor consensus exist regarding which part of the muscle architecture that is accessible for measurement and can be proven valid for representation of muscle quality.

The hypothesis of this study is that point-of-care ultrasound can be used to diagnose sarcopenia in geriatric patients according to the EWGSOP criteria.

Description of the cohort

Geriatric patients with verified sarcopenia - according to the EWGSOP criteria and controls.

Data and biological material

SPPB

Whole-body-DXA-scan

DXA-T-scores

Muscle ultrasound

Collaborating researchers and departments

Department of geriatrics, Svendborg Hospital

• Department of endocrinology, outpatient clinic, Nyborg Hospital