Improvement in sarcopenia is positively associated with recovery of independence in urination and defecation in patients undergoing rehabilitation after a stroke

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the association between improvement in sarcopenia and the recov-ery of urinary and defecatory independence in patients undergoing convalescent rehabilitation.Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of 849 older inpatients after a stroke. Of these, patients with sarcopenia and dependent voiding movements were targeted. Sarcopenia was assessed according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019, and diagnosed using handgrip strength (HGS) and skeletal muscle-mass index. Outcomes were sphincter control items of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) at the time of discharge: urinary (FIM-Bladder) and defecation (FIM-Bowel). A score of six or higher was con-sidered independent. A logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether sarcopenia improvement was associated with outcomes.Results: Of the patients recruited, 151 were diagnosed with sarcopenia at baseline, of whom patients depen-dent in urination (109 patients) and defecation (102 patients) were included in the analysis. The multivariate analysis showed that improvement in sarcopenia (odds ratio [OR]: 3.28; 95% confidence interval [CI],1.01-10.70; P = 0.048) and HGS (OR: 6.25; 95% CI, 1.45-26.90; P = 0.014) were independently associated with FIM-Bladder at the time of discharge. Improvement in HGS (OR: 4.33; 95% CI, 0.99-18.90; P = 0.048) was independently associated with FIM-Bowel at the time of dischargeConclusions: Improvement in sarcopenia and muscle strength during hospitalization may have a positive effect on urinary independence in stroke patients undergoing convalescent rehabilitation, and improvement in muscle strength may have a positive effect on defecation independence. Multidisciplinary sarcopenia treatment should be implemented in addition to conventional rehabilitation for these patients.& COPY; 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.