RESUMO
Skeletal muscle mass (SMM) plays an important role in health and physical performance. Its estimation is critical for the early detection of sarcopenia, a disease with high prevalence and high health costs. While multiple methods exist for estimating this body component, anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) are the most widely available in low- to middle-income countries. This study aimed to determine the correlation between muscle mass, estimated by anthropometry through measurement of calf circumference (CC) and skeletal mass index (SMI) by BIA. This was a cross-sectional and observational study that included 213 functional adults over 65 years of age living in the community. Measurements of height, weight, CC, and SMM estimated by BIA were made after the informed consent was signed. 124 women mean age 69.6 ± 3.1 years and 86 men mean age 69.5 ± 2.9 years had the complete data and were included in the analysis. A significant positive moderate correlation among CC and SMI measured by BIA was found (Pearson r= 0.57 and 0.60 for women and men respectively (p=0.0001)). A moderate significant correlation was found between the estimation of SMM by CC and by BIA. This suggests that CC could be used as a marker of sarcopenia for older adults in settings in lower-middle-income countries where no other methods of diagnosing muscle mass are available. Although the CC is not the unique parameter to the diagnosis of sarcopenia, it could be a useful procedure in the clinic to identify patients at risk of sarcopenia.
RESUMO
Objetivo: investigar el estado nutricional en adultos mayores que viven en la comunidad antes y después de una intervención con ejercicio físico y suplemento nutricional durante 12 semanas. Diseño: estudio transversal. Marco: adultos mayores de la comunidad fueron reclutados en Manizales, Caldas, Colombia. Participantes: 28 voluntarios de 60-85 años o más sin deterioro cognitivo. Mediciones: La sarcopenia se definió según el Grupo de Trabajo Europeo sobre Sarcopenia en Personas Mayores (EWGSOP) como la presencia de dos o tres de los siguientes criterios: baja masa muscular evaluada mediante DXA más bajo rendimiento físico según el SPP o baja fuerza muscular evaluada con dinamometría manual. El riesgo de desnutrición se definió con una puntuación entre 17 y 23.5 puntos en la prueba MNA. Resultados: En promedio, los pacientes aumentaron 2 kg de peso corporal. El test MNA mostró un aumento de 2.9 puntos en las mujeres (13.4%) (p <0.00) y 4.2 (20.4%) (p <0.00) en los hombres a expensas de su mejora en el cribaje. Conclusión: el estado nutricional de los pacientes sarcopénicos puede mejorarse significativamente en 12 semanas después de una intervención que combina un programa de ejercicio regular y un apoyo nutricional que aumenta su ingesta calórica con nutrientes de buena calidad
Objective: To investigate the nutritional status in community- dwelling older adults before and after an intervention with physical exercise and nutritional supplement during 12 weeks. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Community-dwelling older adults were recruited in Manizales, Caldas, Colombia. Participants: 28 volunteers aged 60-85years or older without cognitive impairment. Measurements: Sarcopenia was defined according to European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) as presence of two or three following criteria: low muscle mass by DEXA pluslow physical performance by SPPB or low muscle strength by manual dynamometry. Risk for malnutrition was defined with a score between 17 and 23.5 points in the MNA test. Results: The nutritional status of the patients improved significantly after the combined functional and nutritional intervention. On average, patients increased 2 kg of body weight. MNA showed an increase of 2.9 points in women (13.4%) (p< 0.00) and 4.2 (20.4%) (p< 0.00) in men at the expense of their improvement in screening. Conclusion: the nutritional status of sarcopenic patients can be significantly improved in 12 weeks after an intervention that combines a regular exercise program and nutritional support that increases their caloric intake with good quality nutrients
