Frequency of sarcopenia in Turkish women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of sarcopenia and its clinical significance in Turkish women with SLE, exploring the association between muscle mass, muscle strength and SLE disease activity. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Gazi University Hospital's Department of Rheumatology from January to December 2020. It involved 82 patients with SLE, diagnosed according to the 2019 American College of Rheumatology/European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology criteria, and 69 healthy controls. Sarcopenia was assessed using hand grip dynamometry (hand grip strength (HGS)) and bioelectrical impedance analysis for muscle mass, with sarcopenia defined according to the 2018 European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People criteria and specific cut-offs for the Turkish population. The main outcomes measured were the presence of sarcopenia and probable sarcopenia, HGS values, skeletal muscle mass index and SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K). RESULTS: Among the patients with SLE, 51.2% met the criteria for probable sarcopenia and 12.9% were diagnosed with sarcopenia. The mean HGS was significantly lower in the SLE group (21.7±4.9 kg) compared with controls, indicating reduced muscle strength. The prevalence of anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) antibodies was 82.9%. Multivariate regression analysis identified height and levels of anti-dsDNA antibodies as independent predictors for developing probable sarcopenia. No significant association was found between clinical parameters, including SLEDAI-2K scores, and sarcopenia status. CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia is prevalent among Turkish women with SLE, with a significant proportion showing reduced muscle strength. The study found no direct association between sarcopenia and SLE disease activity or clinical parameters. These findings underscore the importance of including muscle strength assessments in the routine clinical evaluation of patients with SLE to potentially improve management and quality of life.

Elasticity of leg muscles and incidence of falls in older adults: a prospective cohort analysis.

PURPOSE: Aging impacts muscle strength and elasticity, which in turn influence dynamic balance, walking speed, and physical performance. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between the elasticity of leg muscles and incidence of falls in older adults. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort analysis with outpatients from a geriatric clinic. Any history of falls in the past year was recorded. Timed up and go test, muscle thickness, and handgrip strength tests were performed. Elasticities of the gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and rectus femoris (RF) muscles were evaluated using shear wave elastography. Patients self-recorded their falls, and additional phone calls were made to them each month for 6 months. RESULTS: The median age of the patients (n = 55) was 72 years (66-86); and 72% were women. The GM showed significantly lower elasticity in patients with history of falls in the past year than in those without it (8.08 kPa [3.90-16.17] vs. 9.70 kPa [4.99-20.95]; p = 0.028). A similar negative correlation between GM and fall incidence was noted among those with additional falls during the follow-up period (6.96 kPa [3.90-12.41] vs. 9.13 kPa [4.99-20.95]; p = 0.019). GM elasticity was significantly correlated with the timed up and go test score (r = - 0.612, p < 0.001), handgrip strength (r = 0.384, p = 0.015), and muscle thickness (r = 0.232, p = 0.049). No such associations were observed for the RF muscles. CONCLUSION: GM muscle elasticity is associated with alterations in muscle structure that may lead to falls in older adults. Therefore, muscle elasticity may be a fall predictor in older adults.

The relationship between the severity of insomnia and falls in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: Insomnia is associated with depression, cognitive impairment, hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, metabolic syndrome and prostate cancer in the elderly. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between severity of insomnia and falls. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a single geriatric outpatient clinic at a university teaching hospital. Patients with active infection, who could not complete insomnia severity index (ISI) test because of cognitive impairment and who could not perform handgrip strength and timed up and go (TUG) tests were excluded from the study. RESULTS: A total of 215 patients were included in this study. Logistic regression analysis showed that there is significant relationship between poorer TUG performance, mild insomnia, moderate insomnia, severe insomnia and falls in the elderly (odds ratio (OR) = 1.04, CI: 1.00-1.09, P = 0.041, OR = 2.43, CI: 1.22-4.85, P = 0.011, OR = 3.84, CI:1.35-10.94, P = 0.012, OR = 5.81, CI:1.00-33.72, P = 0.050). CONCLUSIONS: In this study we showed that there is a relationship between the severity of insomnia and falls.