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The FNIH sarcopenia project: rationale, study description, conference recommendations, and final estimates.

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24737557
10.1093/gerona/glu010
PMC3991146
The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences
May 1, 2014
Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, National Institute on Aging, 3001 S Hanover Street, Fifth Floor, Baltimore MD 21225. studenskisa@mail.nih.gov.
National Institutes of Health (U.S.), Sarcopenia, Research Design, Disease Susceptibility, Sex Factors, Male, Hand Strength, Body Mass Index, United States, Humans, Female, Risk Factors, Aged, Age Factors, Aged, 80 and over
P50 HL105185, P01 AG023394, M01 RR006192, R01 AG018887, R01 AG027087, N01AG12100, R01 MD009164, R01AG027574, R01 AG007181, R01 DK031801, R37 AG007181, R01 AG028507, R01 AR35583, R01 AR35584, N01HC25195, R01 AG027576, R01 AG027574, U01-AG027810, U01AR45614, UL1 RR024140, U01 AG18197, U01 AR45580, U01 AR045614, U01 AR045654, U01 AR045583, U01 AR045647, U01 AG027810, U01 AR045580, U01 AG018197, U01 AR045632, U01 AR45583, U01 AR45632, U01 AR45647, U01 AR45654, R01 AR035583, R01 AR035584, R01 AG005407, R01 AR035582, R01 AG005394, R01 AR35582
Kritchevsky SB, Guralnik JM, Studenski SA, Ferrucci L, Cawthon PM, Harris TB, Peters KW, Alley DE, Shardell MD, McLean RR, Dam TT, Kenny AM, Fragala MS, Kiel DP, Vassileva MT
Studenski SA, Peters KW, Alley DE, Cawthon PM, McLean RR, Harris TB, Ferrucci L, Guralnik JM, Fragala MS, Kenny AM, Kiel DP, Kritchevsky SB, Shardell MD, Dam TT, Vassileva MT. The FNIH sarcopenia project: rationale, study description, conference recommendations, and final estimates. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences 2014 May.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Low muscle mass and weakness are common and potentially disabling in older adults, but in order to become recognized as a clinical condition, criteria for diagnosis should be based on clinically relevant thresholds and independently validated. The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Biomarkers Consortium Sarcopenia Project used an evidence-based approach to develop these criteria. Initial findings were presented at a conference in May 2012, which generated recommendations that guided additional analyses to determine final recommended criteria. Details of the Project and its findings are presented in four accompanying manuscripts. METHODS: The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project used data from nine sources of community-dwelling older persons: Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study, Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, a series of six clinical trials, Framingham Heart Study, Health, Aging, and Body Composition, Invecchiare in Chianti, Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study, Rancho Bernardo Study, and Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. Feedback from conference attendees was obtained via surveys and breakout groups. RESULTS: The pooled sample included 26,625 participants (57% women, mean age in men 75.2 [±6.1 SD] and in women 78.6 [±5.9] years). Conference attendees emphasized the importance of evaluating the influence of body mass on cutpoints. Based on the analyses presented in this series, the final recommended cutpoints for weakness are grip strength <26kg for men and <16kg for women, and for low lean mass, appendicular lean mass adjusted for body mass index <0.789 for men and <0.512 for women. CONCLUSIONS: These evidence-based cutpoints, based on a large and diverse population, may help identify participants for clinical trials and should be evaluated among populations with high rates of functional limitations.