Prevalence of sarcopenia in an elderly population in rural South India: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Sarcopenia is a condition common in the elderly characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength leading to poor quality of life. According to a working definition proposed by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), the criteria for a diagnosis of sarcopenia is based on documentation of low muscle mass with either poor muscle strength or low physical performance. The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia in the rural elderly population of South India. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 240 elderly people, 60 years and above, 118 men and 122 women, in rural areas of Dakshina Kannada district. We measured their height, weight, gait speed (using an 8-feet walk test) and muscle strength (using a handgrip dynamometer). Appendicular skeletal mass was calculated using height and weight adjusted for sex and Asian people using the Lee formula. Results: Sarcopenia was found in 34 (14.2%) participants. Of all those having sarcopenia, 27 (79.4%) were ≤75 years, 30 (88.2%) were women, 27 (79.4%) were married, 23 (67.6%) had below poverty line status. Conclusions: The prevalence of sarcopenia found in the present study was 14.2% in an elderly population more than 60 years of age and was found to be more in women. Large-scale multi-centric community-based surveys will help determine the actual burden of sarcopenia in India.