Sarcopenia Is Associated With Incident Disability, Institutionalization, and Mortality in Community-Dwelling Older Men: The Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project

Introduction: Sarcopenia is associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between severity of sarcopenia and incident activities of daily living (ADL) disability, institutionalization, and all-cause mortality among community-dwelling older men participating in the Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project (CHAMP).

Methods: Longitudinal analysis of 1705 participants aged 70 years or older at baseline (2005-2007) living in the community in Sydney, Australia.

Measurements: The main outcome measures were incident ADL disability, institutionalization, and mortality. Of the 1705 participants who completed the baseline assessments, a total of 1678 men (mean age 77 years) had complete measures by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, to assess sarcopenia in terms of low appendicular lean mass (ALM), using the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) criteria. To differentiate between severity of sarcopenia we used low ALM alone (sarcopenia I), low ALM with weakness (sarcopenia II), and sarcopenia with weakness and poor gait speed (sarcopenia III). Cox proportional hazard models and logistic regression models were used to assess the risk of mortality and institutionalization, and incidence of ADL disability.

Results: From baseline to follow-up, 103 (11.3%) men had incident ADL disability, 191 (11.2%) men were institutionalized, and 535 (31.9%) had died. At baseline, 14.2% had sarcopenia I, 5.3% had sarcopenia II, and 3.7% had sarcopenia III. Fully adjusted analysis (adjusted for demographics, lifestyle factors, comorbidities and health conditions, and blood measures) showed that sarcopenia I, II, and III were associated with increased risk of disability, institutionalization, and mortality. Associations between sarcopenia I, II, and III and risk of incident disability were as follows: odds ratio (OR) 2.77 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30-5.87, OR 3.78 95% CI 1.23-11.64, and OR 4.53 95% CI 0.90-22.72; associations with institutionalization were hazard ratio (HR) 1.96 95% CI 1.14-3.35, HR 2.53 95% CI 1.31-4.90, and HR 2.27 95% CI 1.08-4.80; and with mortality were HR 1.65 95% CI 1.30-2.09, HR 1.50 95% CI 1.08-2.08, and HR 1.69 95% CI 1.17-2.44.

Conclusions: This study shows that, in community-dwelling older men, sarcopenia defined by the FNIH criteria is associated with increased risk of incident disability, institutionalization, and mortality.