Sarcopenia is a common geriatric syndrome, especially in the elderly with chronic musculoskeletal diseases, increasing the risk of decreased motor function and quality of life. This study was conducted to describe the status of muscle weakness and wasting and to investigate some factors related to these 2 syndromes in the elderly with coexisting knee osteoarthritis and chronic spinal pain. A cross-sectional descriptive study with analysis was conducted on 88 elderly patients (aged ≥60 years) who visited the musculoskeletal department of Thai Binh General Hospital. Weakness was assessed according to the Fried criteria, and muscle wasting was diagnosed based on the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. Data were collected through direct interviews and clinical examinations with measurements such as muscle strength measurement (handgrip strength using the InGrip device), walking speed (by the 15-foot walk test), and body composition analysis using the Inbody 770 machine (using the bioelectrical impedance analysis method). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 27.0 software, and multivariate regression was used to investigate a number of related factors, with p <0.05 being considered statistically significant. In 88 elderly patients, the prevalence of sarcopenia in the study group was 40.9% (including 23.9% sarcopenia and 17.0% severe sarcopenia), while the prevalence of frailty was 9.1%. Critically, the co-occurrence of both syndromes was significantly higher in men than in women (21.1% vs . 4.3%, p =0.037), a novel and clinically important observation. After multivariate regression analysis, age was the only significant independent risk factor and those over 70 years old had a 9.0-fold higher risk of developing the condition compared to those aged 60–65 years (adjusted odds ratio = 9.0; 95% confidence interval: 2.4 - 33.6). The high prevalence of sarcopenia underscores its significance in this patient population, with advanced age identified as the most critical independent risk factor. This demonstrates the burden of sarcopenia in the elderly population and highlights the urgency of early screening. Therefore, timely intervention strategies need to be developed, especially focusing on high-risk groups such as those aged over 70 years.
Diep et al. (Sun,) studied this question.