《Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice》 ›› 2021, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (8): 982-992.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-9771.2021.08.015

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Application of Upper Arm Circumference and Calf Circumference in Screening and Diagnosis of Sarcopenia for Old Adults in Community

LI Meng-li1,LIU Min-jing1,ZHOU Si-mei1,ZHANG Qing2,WANG Li1()   

  1. 1. School of Nursing, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, China
    2. School of Physical Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, China
  • Received:2020-08-10 Revised:2021-05-31 Published:2021-08-25 Online:2021-08-25
  • Contact: WANG Li E-mail:li-wang-1@suda.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    Jiangsu Province Industry-University-Research Cooperation Project(BY2018179)

Abstract:

Objective To explore the correlation of upper arm circumference and calf circumference with muscle mass, and the screening effect and the cut-off values for low muscle mass and sarcopenia. Methods From March to August, 2020, a total of 831 community-dwelling old people (≥ 60 years old) were recruited by using convenience sampling. Muscle mass and other body composition indicators were tested by body composition tester. The upper arm circumference, calf circumference, grip strength and gait speed were measured at the same day. Pearson cofficient was used to analyze the correlation of upper arm circumference and calf circumference with muscle mass, and receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the diagnostic effect of upper arm circumference and calf circumference on low muscle mass and sarcopenia, and the Youden index (YI) was used to determine the cut-off values. Results Upper arm circumference and calf circumference were positively correlated with appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and skeletal mass index (SMI) (r = 0.6 to 0.8, P < 0.001). For diagnosing low muscle mass, the areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of upper arm circumference were 0.888 for male, 0.787 for female; and that of calf circumference were 0.933 for male, 0.854 for female, respectively. The cut-off values of upper arm circumference for low muscle mass were 26 cm for both male and female; and that of calf circumference were 34 cm for male and 33 cm for female, respectively. For diagnosing sarcopenia, the AUC of upper arm circumference was 0.902 for male, 0.744 for female; and that of calf circumference was 0.923 for male, 0.832 for female, respectively. The cut-off values of upper arm circumference and calf circumference for sarcopenia were 26 cm and 33 cm for both male and female. The AUC of combined diagnosis with age, upper arm circumference, calf circumference, grip strength and gait speed for low muscle mass and sarcopenia in males and females was all greater than 0.85. Conclusion In the community old adults, upper arm circumference and calf circumference are positively correlated with muscle mass, and both indices can be used to diagnose low muscle mass and sarcopenia. multi-indices combination can improve the diagnosis effect of upper arm circumference in females.

Key words: sarcopenia, upper arm circumference, calf circumference, screening, receiver operator characteristic curve