gms | German Medical Science

7th EFSMA – European Congress of Sports Medicine, 3rd Central European Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Annual Assembly of the German and the Austrian Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Austrian Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

26.-29.10.2011, Salzburg, Österreich

Prevalence of sarcopenia in geriatric patients hospitalised for rehabilitation

Meeting Abstract

7th EFSMA – European Congress of Sports Medicine, 3rd Central European Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Salzburg, 26.-29.10.2011. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2011. Doc11esm180

doi: 10.3205/11esm180, urn:nbn:de:0183-11esm1809

Veröffentlicht: 24. Oktober 2011

© 2011 Strasser et al.
Dieser Artikel ist ein Open Access-Artikel und steht unter den Creative Commons Lizenzbedingungen (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.de). Er darf vervielfältigt, verbreitet und öffentlich zugänglich gemacht werden, vorausgesetzt dass Autor und Quelle genannt werden.


Gliederung

Text

Objective: Sarcopenia is characterized by progressive muscle wasting during aging and is often associated and aggravated by acute or chronic diseases. Last year a consensus statement of the european working group on sarcopenia in older people was published with the intention to established criteria for the diagnosis of sarcopenia (1). Concerning these criteria a patient is characterized as sarcopenic if there is a significant reduction in skeletal muscle mass and a reduction in muscle strength or in physical performance. The consensus statement recommends screening of older patients by testing of the hand grip strength and walking speed. If there is a significant reduction in one of these parameters an assessment of the skeletal muscle mass should follow. Therefore with these simple screening parameters patients at risk for sarcopenia could be identified and treated early.

Material/Methods: All patients with an age over 65 years submitted to the department of acute geriatric rehabilitation are screened for sarcopenia by measurements of the handgrip strength and walking speed. Additionally quantification of skeletal muscle mass by dual energy X ray absorptiometry (DEXA) will follow. To evaluate whether DEXA is a useful method to quantify muscle mass a magnetic resonance tomography of both tights will be performed. Moreover age, gender, diagnosis for hospital admission and medication are documented to identify possible factors for amplification of sarcopenia. Mobility at admission is documented by basic mobility score and Tinetti testing.

Conclusion: The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia in geriatric patients hospitalised for rehabilitation.


References

1.
Cruz-Jentoft AJ, et al. Sarcopenia: European consensus on definition and diagnosis: Report of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. Age and Ageing. 2010;39(4):412-23.