The Prevalence of Sarcopenia in Korean Hospitalized Elderly

Background: Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength. Although data exist on the prevalence of sarcopenia of the community-dwelling elderly, there has been no systematic research about hospitalized elderly patients in South Korea, in accordance with the newly developed criteria. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at theDaejin Medical Center, BundangJesaeng Hospital, South Korea, from May 2013 to March 2015. In this study, the following were checked: the level of hemoglobin, total cholesterol, serum albumin, serum prealbumin, and serum zinc. Furthermore,there was a measurement of theskeletal muscle mass by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Sarcopenia is defined as the presence of low muscle mass, as assessed by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA), according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP). Results: The hospitalized elderly subjects with a definite diagnosis of sarcopenia were 32(37%), whereas 54(63%) had no sarcopenia. The prevalence of sarcopenia of those who were investigated was higher in males than females (males, 68.7% vs. females, 18.5%). In an additional correlation analysis, the score of skeletal muscle index (SMI) is negatively correlated with age and the length of hospital stay; however, it is positively correlated with the BMI, body weight, and serum level of prealbumin. Conclusions: The prevalence of sarcopenia in hospitalized elderly patients is high. This study showed that sarcopenic subjects were associated with several factors, including age, BMI, serum prealbumin level, and hospital stay. Sarcopenia can be used as a sensitive predictive marker for prognosis of the hospitalized elderly.