Sarcopenia and the Importance of Biochemical Determinations in the Hospitalised Older Adults

Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. It is the major pathway leading to physical frailty, an important geriatric syndrome and an important problem in the elderly population. There are multiple factors leading to sarcopenia and frailty and for preventing them is important to determine the biochemical factors involved. We conducted a study on 143 elderly patients hospitalized during a nine months period. Demographic data were collected and biochemical parameters were determined. Sarcopenia was determined through muscle mass and muscle strength. The average age of the persons included in the study was 77.13 +/- 6.30 years, without differences between gender distributions. To assess the relationship between the biochemical parameters and the presence of sarcopenia, the patients were divided into two groups: the group with sarcopenia and the group without sarcopenia. The analysis of the relationships between the presence of sarcopenia and the biochemical parameters determined within the study group, revealed that sarcopenia is correlated with blood glucose (p = 0.002, r = -0.266), creatinine (p= 0.010, r= -0.221) and also creatinine clearance (p= 0.017, r= 0.207). Biochemical determinations are important in determining sarcopenia and frailty and are of high importance before establishing any measure of treatment or prevention.