Calculated body muscle mass as a useful screening marker for low skeletal muscle mass and sarcopenia in chronic liver disease

Association of the sarcopenia index with cognitive impairment in a middle-aged to older patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack: A multicenter cohort study

OBJECTIVES

The sarcopenia (SI) index, defined as the serum creatinine to cystatin C ratio, is considered a predictor of poor muscle health and malnutrition, which is related to major adverse cardiovascular events. However, the effect of the SI index on cognitive function in stroke patients remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between the SI and longitudinal cognitive impairment in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Participants who met the inclusion criteria in this national, multicenter, prospective cohort study were enrolled from the Impairment of Cognition and Sleep (ICONS) study of the China National Stroke Registry-3 (CNSR-3). They were categorized into four groups according to the quartile of the SI index. Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scale. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were performed to evaluate the association between the SI index and post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) at the 3-month follow-up. Moreover, discrimination tests were used to evaluate the incremental predictive value of the SI index beyond the potential risk factors. Furthermore, we performed subgroup analyses to test interactions.

RESULTS

Among the enrolled participants, the lower the SI index was, the worse the cognitive performance. At the 3-month follow-up, participants in the lowest SI quartile group exhibited a 42% increase in the risk of cognitive impairment relative to the highest quartile group [OR 0.58 (95% CI 0.37-0.90)]. Moreover, after applying the discrimination test, adding the SI index into the potential risk factors resulted in a slight improvement in predicting the risk of cognitive impairment [NRI 14% (P = 0.01)].

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that a lower sarcopenia index was positively associated with a higher prevalence of PSCI. Monitoring the SI index in stroke patients and early identification and treatment of individuals with low SI level may be helpful to reduce the risk of cognitive impairment.

Serum creatinine/cystatin C ratio as a muscle mass evaluating tool and prognostic indicator for hospitalized patients: A meta-analysis

Objective

Sarcopenia is a syndrome of decreased muscle mass and deficits in muscle strength and physical function. We aimed to investigate the relationship between creatinine/cystatin C ratio (CCR) and sarcopenia and the prognostic value of CCR in hospitalized patients.

Materials and methods

We searched for relevant studies in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database up to August 25, 2022. Meta-analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between CCR and skeletal muscle [computed tomography-assessed skeletal muscle (CTASM), muscle strength, and physical performance], prognosis and important clinical outcomes in hospitalized adults. The pooled correlation coefficient, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and hazard ratio (HR) together with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. We also conducted subgroup analyses to explore the sources of heterogeneity.

Results

A total of 38 studies with 20,362 patients were eligible. These studies were of moderate to high quality. Our results showed that CCR was significant correlations with all CTASM types (Fisher's Z ranged from 0.35 to 0.5; P values ranged from < 0.01 to 0.01), handgrip strength (Fisher's Z = 0.39; 95% CI, 0.32-0.45; P < 0.001) and gait speed (Fisher's Z = 0.25; 95% CI, 0.21-0.30; P < 0.001). The ROC curves suggested that CCR had good diagnostic efficacy (0.689; 95% CI, 0.632-0.746; P < 0.01) for sarcopenia. CCR can reliably predict mortality in hospitalized patients, which was confirmed by regression analysis of CCR as both continuous (HR 0.78; 95% CI, 0.72-0.84; P < 0.01) and categorical variables (HR 2.05; 95% CI, 1.58-2.66; P < 0.0001). In addition, less evidence showed that higher CCR was independently associated with a shorter duration of mechanical ventilation, reduced length of stay in the intensive care unit and hospital, less nutritional risk, and decreased complications in hospitalized patients.

Conclusion

CCR could be a simple, economical, and effective screening tool for sarcopenia in hospitalized patients, and it is a helpful prognostic factor for mortality and other important clinical outcomes.

Systematic review registration

https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2022-9-0097/, identifier INPLASY202290097.

Serum creatinine to cystatin C ratio and cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults in China

Background

The sarcopenia index (SI, serum creatinine/serum cystatin C × 100) is recently suggested to be a reliable marker for sarcopenia. It has been reported that sarcopenia is associated with poorer cognition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between SI and cognitive function among middle-aged and older adults from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS).

Materials and methods

A total of 6,442 participants ≥45 years of age were enrolled in this study from CHARLS between 2011 and 2012. Cognitive function was assessed by interview-based measurements, including orientation and attention, episodic memory, visuo-construction, and the total cognitive function. SI was calculated by serum creatinine (mg/dL)/cystatin C (mg/L) × 100. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the differences among groups divided according to SI quartiles by gender. Both linear and logistic regression models were applied to investigate the relationship between SI and cognitive function.

Results

After adjustment for potential confounders, we found SI was significantly and positively correlated with total cognitive function scores both in males and females [β = 0.014, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.007 to 0.021, P < 0.001; β = 0.011, 95 CI% 0.003 to 0.018, P = 0.004; respectively]. Similarly, when the total cognitive function score was treated as a categorical variable according to quartiles in males and females, higher SI was related to better total cognitive function scores in both males and females [odds ratio (OR) = 1.147, 95% CI 1.028 to 1.279, P = 0.014; OR = 1.219, 95% CI 1.106 to 1.344, P < 0.001; respectively] following adjustment for confounders.

Conclusions

Lower sarcopenia index was correlated with a higher prevalence of cognitive impairment among middle-aged and older adults in China.

Sarcopenia HIBA score predicts sarcopenia and mortality in patients on the liver transplant waiting list

Sarcopenia is a prevalent condition that predicts prognosis in patients awaiting liver transplantation (LT). The gold standard for the diagnosis of sarcopenia is the assessment of the muscular area at L3 with computed tomography (CT) scan (skeletal muscle index [SMI]), but the routine use of CT scan is limited in clinical practice. Thus, we designed a single-center observational study aimed to evaluate the clinical factors associated with the presence of sarcopenia by SMI, and to build a score capable of predicting or excluding the presence of sarcopenia in patients on the LT waiting list (WL). Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to establish the factors independently associated with sarcopenia, and the Sarcopenia Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires (HIBA) score was built from the resulting model after internal validation analysis by bootstrapping and correction for optimism. The predictive capability of mortality on the WL was evaluated with competing risk regression analysis. A total of 215 patients with cirrhosis on the LT WL were included. The independent factors associated with the presence of sarcopenia were male sex (odds ratio [OR]: 6.09, p < 0.001), body mass index (OR: 0.74, p < 0.001), Child Pugh (OR: 1.44, p < 0.001), and the ratio creatinine/Cystatin C (OR: 0.03, p = 0.007). The Sarcopenia HIBA score constructed with these variables showed an area under the curve of 0.862. During follow-up, 77 (36%) patients underwent LT, 46 (21%) died, and 92 (43%) remained alive. After adjusting for Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Sodium, Sarcopenia HIBA score was an independent predictor of WL mortality (subhazard ratio: 1.19; 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.40; p = 0.042). Sarcopenia HIBA score is an easy-to-use, objective, and reliable diagnostic and predictive tool that can be useful to improve the prognostic evaluation and allow identifying a group of patients with a higher risk of death while awaiting LT.

Serum creatinine to cystatin C ratio reflects preoperative and early postoperative walking ability in older patients with hip fracture

BACKGROUND

The sarcopenia index (SI), calculated as the ratio of serum creatinine to cystatin C levels, reflects skeletal muscle mass and strength. Patients with hip fracture (HF) and sarcopenia have poor functional outcomes, and many require long-term care after surgery. We hypothesized that the SI can predict preoperative and early postoperative functional outcomes.

METHODS

Preoperative serum creatinine and cystatin C were measured to calculate the SI for patients with surgically treated HF (n = 130, mean age: 87.8 ± 6.9 years). Walking ability before and 2 weeks after surgery was assessed, and patients were dichotomized into independent and assistance groups. To assess the validity of the SI, we examined its correlation with the quality [computed tomography (CT) value] and quantity (cross-sectional area) of the muscles around the hip on the non-operated side, which were preoperatively measured using CT. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to evaluate the prognostic value of the SI.

RESULTS

The SI of the preoperative independent (n = 77) and assistance groups (n = 53) significantly differed (70.2 ± 12.4 and 60.1 ± 9.8, respectively, P < 0.000001). At 2 weeks after surgery, the SI was significantly higher in the independent group (n = 31, 73.0 ± 14.9) than in the assistance group (n = 99, 64.0 ± 10.7, P = 0.0003). In the preoperative independent group, 28 could walk independently after surgery (SI: 74.8 ± 14.0) while 49 required assistance (SI: 67.7 ± 10.6, P = 0.01). For patients with femoral neck fracture (FNF), the SIs were significantly higher in the postoperative independent group (78.6 ± 15.7) than in the postoperative assistance group (63.2 ± 10.9, P = 0.002). Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of the SI for postoperative walking ability was 0.95 (0.91-0.99, P = 0.03). The correlations of SIs with CT values and cross-sectional areas were as follows: iliopsoas at the apex of the femoral head, r = 0.40, P < 0.001 and r = 0.49, P < 0.001, respectively; rectus femoris at the level of the lessor trochanter, r = 0.26, P = 0.007 and r = 0.37, P < 0.001, respectively. ROC analysis for predicting postoperative walking ability in preoperative independent patients with HF and FNF revealed areas under the curve (95% confidence interval) of 0.63 (0.50-0.76) and 0.80 (0.65-0.96), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with HF, the SI correlated with preoperative walking ability and could predict postoperative walking ability. Among patients who could walk independently before surgery, those with high SIs could walk independently early in the postoperative period. The SI is beneficial for estimating walking ability in patients with HF.

The Impact of Functional Bars and Adapted Physical Activity on Quality of Life in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Pilot Study

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a public health problem because it is characterized by several comorbidities, including uremic sarcopenia (US), and a poor quality of life. Currently, there are no standardized treatments available to counteract the onset of US but only some possible therapeutic approaches to slow its progression. The aim of this pilot study is to collect descriptive data in order to design a clinical trial based on the power analysis and simple size. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the possible beneficial action induced by the functional anti-inflammatory and antioxidant bars in combination with the adapted physical activity (APA), on the onset and progression of US and other related-CKD comorbidities. We enrolled 21 CKD patients under conservative therapy, divided into four groups: (A) the physical exercise program (PEP), three times a week, in combination with the daily consumption of the two functional bars group; (B) the PEP group; (C) the daily consumption of the two functional bars group; (D) the control group. The duration of the study protocol was 12 weeks. We observed an improvement trend of body composition, blood pressure levels, lipid metabolism, and functional test in A and B groups. These preliminary data would seem to confirm the effectiveness of APA and to demonstrate the additive role of the natural bioactive compound’s assumption in countering US and other CKD comorbidities.

Sarcopenia Index Based on Serum Creatinine and Cystatin C is Associated with Mortality, Nutritional Risk/Malnutrition and Sarcopenia in Older Patients

Purpose

To investigate the association of sarcopenia index (SI) [(serum creatinine/serum cystatin C) × 100] with mortality, nutritional risk/malnutrition and sarcopenia among hospitalized older adults.

Subjects and Methods

A prospective analysis was performed in 758 hospitalized older adults. Anthropometric measures and biochemical parameters were carried out for each patient. Sarcopenia was defined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 algorithm. Nutritional risk/malnutrition was defined according to the European Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) criteria. The logistic regression analysis was employed for the analysis of correlation between the SI and other variables. Cox regression analysis was employed to analyze correlation between the SI and mortality.

Results

A total of 758 participants agreed to participate in this study (589 men and 169 women; mean age: 85.6±6.1 years). The median of the follow-up period was 212 days. A total of 112 patients died. A high SI (per 1-SD was 22.1) was independently associated with all-cause mortality (HR per 1-SD = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.47–0.79), nutritional risk/malnutrition (OR per 1-SD = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.29–0.49) and sarcopenia (OR per 1-SD = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.45–0.74). High SI was positively correlated with albumin (r = 0.32, P < 0.001), hemoglobin (r = 0.24, P < 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.12, P = 0.001), waist circumference (WC) (r = 0.08, P = 0.046), calf circumference (CC) (r = 0.45, P < 0.001), hand grip strength (HGS) (r = 0.52, P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with triglyceride glucose (TyG) (r = −0.11, P = 0.007).

Conclusion

The SI based on serum cystatin C and creatinine is associated with long-term mortality, nutritional risk/malnutrition and sarcopenia in hospitalized older Chinese patients.

Comparison of calculated body muscle mass and SARC-F as methods of screening for sarcopenia in patients with chronic liver disease

A simple method is required to screen for sarcopenia in patients with chronic liver disease. In the present study, the value of the existing SARC-F questionnaire as well as calculated body muscle mass (CBMM) approaches were assessed for screening of sarcopenia. A total of 482 patients with chronic liver disease underwent CBMM, grip strength (GS) and SARC-F score assessments. Cross-sectional computed tomography images of the third lumbar vertebrae were analyzed to determine the skeletal muscle (SM) mass in 303 patients. Cutoff CBMM values for sarcopenia were <27.903 in females and <39.731 in males. The cutoff SARC-F score for sarcopenia was ≥4 points. Sarcopenia was diagnosed using the criteria described in the Japan Society of Hepatology. GS was moderately correlated with SARC-F score (females, R=-0.578; males, -0.453) and CBMM (females, R=0.497; males, 0.548). The SM index was moderately correlated with CBMM for both sexes (females, R=0.546; males, 0.612), but not with SARC-F score in females (females, R=-0.132; males, -0.246). The area under the curve (AUC) for CBMM against sarcopenia (0.85964) was significantly larger than that for SARC-F score (0.72013) amongst males (P=0.03577) but not females. The AUCs for a modified SARC-F questionnaire (encompassing the SARC-F questionnaire, CBMM, sex and age; mSARC-F) against sarcopenia were 0.864 in males and 0.78185 in females. As a screening method, SARC-F is less useful than CBMM. However, the AUC for mSARC-F is greater than SARC-F and CBMM.

Direct-acting Antivirals Improved the Quality of Life, Ameliorated Disease-related Symptoms, and Augmented Muscle Volume Three Years Later in Patients with Hepatitis C Virus

Objective Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are important measures of the quality of life (QOL) and symptoms in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV). We evaluated the PROs at the beginning of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment and three years later. A low QOL in patients with chronic liver disease suggested a low muscle mass. We compared the relationship between the QOL and muscle mass. Methods DAAs were administered to 100 patients with HCV infection. The PROs included the cirrhosis-related symptom score (CSS), presence of restless legs syndrome, Pittsburg sleep quality index (PSQI) to evaluate sleep disturbance, SF-36 to measure the QOL, and calculated body muscle mass (CBMM) measured at the beginning of treatment and three years later. Computed tomography (CT) was used to screen 82 patients for hepatocellular carcinoma at the beginning of treatment and three years later. Cross-sectional CT images of the third lumbar vertebrae were analyzed to evaluate the body composition. Results The general health perception (GHN) of SF-36 was better at three years after DAA administration than at the beginning. Changes in the GHN (dGHN) were related to an improved sleep quality on the PSQI and CSS and increased CBMM. The dGHN was positively related to changes in the skeletal muscle. The sleep quality, sleep latency, fatigue, and abdominal fullness were related to dGHN. Conclusion The QOL is related to sleep disturbance and several other symptoms. Furthermore, in patients with an increased muscle volume after DAA treatment, increased muscle mass is associated with an improvement in the QOL.