Impact of sarcopenia on daily functioning: a cross-sectional study among older inpatients

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Geriatric patients with sarcopenia are at increased risk for functional decline with loss of independence in daily living. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the impact of sarcopenia on different domains of functional status in hospitalized geriatric patients. METHODS: Sarcopenia was assessed at hospital admission using the recommendations of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2). Body impedance analysis (BIA) was performed to determine muscle mass, and a pneumatic hand dynamometer was used to assess muscle strength. The functional independence measure (FIM) score, an 18-item tool exploring an individual's physical, cognitive and social functions, was used to measure functional status. RESULTS: In 305 included inpatients with a median age of 84.0 years (65.6% female), prevalence of sarcopenia was 22.6%. Overall, sarcopenic patients had significant lower FIM scores compared to non-sarcopenic patients (p = 0.006). An association with sarcopenia was found for the FIM items bed/chair/wheelchair transfer (p = 0.047), transfer to toilet (p = 0.048), locomotion (p = 0.001), climbing stairs (p = 0.012), comprehension (p = 0.029), and social interaction (p = 0.028). CONCLUSION: In hospitalized geriatric patients, sarcopenia was found to be associated with both cognitive and mobility domains, but not with self-care domains of the FIM score. Therefore, when addressing sarcopenia in inpatients, tailored and multi-dimensional training interventions mainly should focus on motor-cognitive abilities. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40520-022-02175-z.