Primary Sarcopenia in Older People with Normal Nutrition.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of primary sarcopenia in older patients with normal nutrition and to assess the relationships between the primary sarcopenia with anthropometric measurements. DESIGN AND METHODS: In this prospective clinical cross-sectional study, six-hundred patients who applied to Polyclinic of Geriatrics between dates 2010 and 2011 have been evaluated. The 386 patients who were supposed to have potential secondary sarcopenia were excluded from the study. Age, gender, weight, height, BMI, calf and waist circumference, ongoing medications, additional diseases of the 214 patients included in the study have been surveyed. The sarcopenia criteria of EWSGOP have been applied. RESULTS: Two hundred fourteen cases included in the study were composed of 148 female and 66 male subjects. Mean age was 71.8 ± 2.1 years. Sarcopenia was detected in 105 (49%) subjects while 109 (51%) were normal. Sixty-four female (61%) and 41 (39%) male subjects were sarcopenic. Normal group included 84 female (77%) and 25 male (23%) subjects. Incidence of sarcopenia was found higher in the female patients (p<0.001). No statistically significant difference was detected between sarcopenic and normal groups with respect to age, height, weight, calf circumference and evaluation tests. Waist circumference was higher in the sarcopenic group than the normal group (p=0.02). When both groups were analyzed for BMI; 53 (51%) of the 105 sarcopenic patients had BMI over 30 kg/m2 while 29 (27%) and 23 (22%) patients had BMI of 25-30 kg/m2 and below 25 kg/m2, respectively. Incidence of sarcopenia was significantly higher in the group with BMI over 30 kg/m2 when compared with the groups with BMI of 25-30 kg/m2 and below 25 kg/m2 (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia that makes older people physically dependent and decreases their quality of life that receive sufficient nutritional support and are also obese should be comprehensively investigated with respect to presence of sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia assessment project in the nursing homes in Turkey.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity (SO) are geriatric syndromes leading to physical disability, poor quality of life and death. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia and SO in nursing homes in Turkey and to define local disparities for diagnosing sarcopenia and SO. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This cross-sectional multicenter study was performed in 711 patients in 14 nursing homes. Comprehensive geriatric assessment tests, handgrip strength and calf circumference (CC) measurements were carried out. Sarcopenia was both defined by handgrip strength and CC criteria. RESULTS: According to handgrip strength measurement, 483 (68%) of patients were sarcopenic (male: 72%, female: 63.8%), 228 were non-sarcopenic. The prevalence of SO was 22% (13.7% in men, 30.2% in women). Patients (82.5%) who were diagnosed as sarcopenic by the handgrip strength test were not sarcopenic according to CC sarcopenia criteria. Therefore, we tried to determine the optimal CC value for diagnosing sarcopenia in our population. CONCLUSIONS: Both sarcopenia and SO were prevalent among Turkish nursing home elderly residents. Most of the patients with sarcopenia were obese or overweight. We showed that diagnosing sarcopenia with CC measurement underestimated the sarcopenia prevalence assessed by handgrip strength. So we concluded that, although different assessment methods are recommended for the diagnosis of sarcopenia local disparities should be considered.

Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in experimental animals: effects of aging and hypercholesterolemic diet.

Effects of aging and hypercholesterolemic diet on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status were investigated in rats. The rats were divided into four groups of ten: Group I; young rats receiving standard lab chow; Group II; young rats on hypercholesterolemic diet (0.4 g/rat/day); Group III; aged rates receiving standard lab chow; Group IV; aged rats on hypercholesterolemic diet (0.4 g/rat/day). Plasma lipid peroxidation end product level was determined as thiobarbutiric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Plasma cholesterol concentration was analyzed by a kinetic enzymatic method. Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (CuZn SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH Px) and glutathione (GSH) levels were determined spectrophotometrically. Cholesterol values were found to be significantly high (p < 0.001), TBARS (0.05 > p > 0.02) and GSH (p < 0.001) levels significantly low in aged rats in comparison with young rats. Hypercholesterolemic diet induced significant increases in GSH (p < 0.001) and CuZn SOD (p < 0.001) levels, whereas a significant decrease in GSH Px activity (0.05 > p > 0.02) was observed in aged rats. In young rats hypercholesterolemic diet caused a significant increase in both GSH and CuZnSOD levels. Our results indicate an imbalance between radical production and destruction in favour of prooxidant conditions in the young rats and the induction by hypercholesterolemic diet of the antioxidative response in erythrocytes.