Trajectories of muscle quantity, quality and function measurements in hospitalized older adults

Carly Welch, Carolyn Greig, Danielle Lewis, Zeinab Majid, Tahir Masud, Hannah Moorey, Thomas Pinkney, Benjamin Stanley, Thomas Jackson

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Abstract

AIM: Acute sarcopenia is defined by the development of incident sarcopenia (low muscle quantity/quality and function) within 6 months of a stressor event. However, outcome measures for clinical trials have not been validated. This study aimed to characterize changes in muscle quantity, quality, strength, and physical function during and after hospitalization.

METHODS: Patients aged ≥70 years admitted for elective colorectal surgery, emergency abdominal surgery or acute infections were recruited from a single university hospital. Assessments were carried out at baseline, and within 7 ± 2 days and 13 ± 1 weeks postoperatively or post-admission.

RESULTS: A total of 79 participants (mean age 79 years, 39% female) were included. Physical function defined by the Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Information System T-score declined from baseline (42.3, 95% CI 40.2-44.3) to 7 days (36.6, 95% CI 34.5-38.8; P = 0.001), with improvement after 13 weeks (40.5, 95% CI 37.9-43.0). Changes in muscle quantity, quality and function measurements were overall heterogeneous, with few significant changes at the study population level. Change in rectus femoris echogenicity over 13 weeks correlated with changes in handgrip strength (r = 0.53; P < 0.001) and gait speed (r = 0.59; P = 0.003) over the same period.

CONCLUSIONS: Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Information System T-score provides a sensitive measure of change in physical function in hospitalized older patients. However, changes in muscle quantity, quality and function measurements were heterogeneous, and not significant at the study population level. Further research should assess for factors that might be predictive of changes within individuals to enable stratified interventions. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; ••: ••-••.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)311-318
Number of pages8
JournalGeriatrics & gerontology international
Volume22
Issue number4
Early online date4 Mar 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was sponsored by and reviewed by the University of Birmingham research governance team. Ethical approval was obtained from Wales Research Ethics Committee 4 (19/WA/0036), the Health Research Authority, and the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust Research and Development department. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants who were considered to have capacity to consent for themselves. Written personal or professional consultee declaration was obtained if the participant was considered to lack the capacity to consent to participation. The use of both informed consent and consultee declaration was approved by the ethics committee.

Funding Information:
This research was funded by a project grant from the Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust and the Medical Research Council ? Versus Arthritis Center for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research awarded to Dr Carly Welch in the form of a PhD studentship. Dr Thomas Jackson is funded by the West Midlands National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network Research Scholar program. The views in this manuscript are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR, the National Health Service or the Department of Health. The funding bodies were not involved in the design of the study, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, or in writing the manuscript.

Funding Information:
This research was funded by a project grant from the Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust and the Medical Research Council – Versus Arthritis Center for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research awarded to Dr Carly Welch in the form of a PhD studentship. Dr Thomas Jackson is funded by the West Midlands National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network Research Scholar program. The views in this manuscript are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR, the National Health Service or the Department of Health. The funding bodies were not involved in the design of the study, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, or in writing the manuscript.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. Geriatrics & Gerontology International published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japan Geriatrics Society.

Keywords

  • acute sarcopenia
  • deconditioning
  • echogenicity
  • physical function
  • ultrasound
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Hospitalization
  • Sarcopenia/epidemiology
  • Quadriceps Muscle
  • Female
  • Aged
  • Walking Speed
  • Muscle, Skeletal
  • Muscle Strength
  • Hand Strength

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health(social science)
  • Geriatrics and Gerontology
  • Gerontology

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