Altered body composition, sarcopenia, frailty, and their clinico-biological correlates, in Parkinson's disease.

Abstract Introduction Low body weight in Parkinson's disease (PD) is poorly understood despite the associated risks of malnutrition, fractures, and death. Sarcopenia (loss of muscle bulk and strength) and frailty are geriatric syndromes that are likewise associated with adverse health outcomes, yet have received scant attention in PD. We studied body composition, sarcopenia, frailty, and their clinico-biological correlates in PD. Methods 93 patients and 78 spousal/sibling controls underwent comprehensive assessment of diet, clinical status, muscle strength/performance, frailty, body composition (using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), and serum levels of neurogastrointestinal hormones and inflammatory markers. Results PD patients were older than controls (66.0 ± 8.5 vs. 62.4 ± 8.4years, P = 0.003). Mean body mass index (24.0 ± 0.4 vs. 25.6 ± 0.5kg/m2, P adjusted  = 0.016), fat mass index (7.4 ± 0.3 vs. 9.0 ± 0.3kg/m2, P adjusted adjusted adjusted  = 0.340) and frailty (69.4% vs. 24.2%, P adjusted  = 0.010). Older age and worse PD motor severity were predictors of frailty in PD. Conclusions We found reduced body fat with relatively preserved skeletal muscle mass, and a high prevalence of frailty, in PD. Further studies are needed to understand the patho-mechanisms underlying these alterations.