Salivary Testosterone and Cortisol as Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Sarcopenia and Sarcopenic Obesity in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Nowadays, the appearance of sarcopenia (S) or sarcopenic obesity (SO) is related to aging. According to the criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), the feasibility of using salivary cortisol and testosterone levels was analyzed as diagnostic biomarkers of S or SO. One hundred and ninety non-institutionalized people aged ≥65 years were studied, independent of the activities of daily living (ADLs) (Barthel > 60), and sociodemographic variables were determined together with criteria for the diagnosis of S and SO including grip force, lower body strength, appendicular skeletal muscle mass, physical performance, total body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and triceps skinfold, together with the levels of salivary cortisol and testosterone. Our results reflected that women presented a higher prevalence of S and SO (21.2% and 30.2%, respectively). A significant difference was observed between salivary testosterone levels and the age of the participants with differences by sex. Testosterone values in men with S and SO were significantly lower (p = 0.043 and p = 0.048, respectively), which suggests a potential use of the biomarker for diagnostic purposes. No significant differences were shown with cortisol values

Sarcopenic Obesity in Community-Dwelling Spanish Adults Older than 65 Years

Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is diagnosed when sarcopenia and obesity coexist in patients. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of SO under different diagnostic criteria in community-dwelling Spanish adults aged over 65 years residing in Valencia (Spain). The research was conducted as an observational and cross-sectional study with a sample size of 202 subjects. To diagnose sarcopenia, we used the tests proposed by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People in 2019 (EWGSOP2): SARC-F, grip strength, sit-to-stand, gait speed, Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass (ASMM), and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). For obesity diagnosis, we used body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), total body fat percentage (%TBF), and tricipital skinfold (TS). The prevalence of SO was 16.5% in women and 29% in men, according to any of the diagnostic criteria used to determine obesity. A higher proportion of SO was observed as age increased in both groups, although no significant differences were found. Most values obtained in tests related to SO diagnosis were worse in the group affected by the disease; however, there were two exceptions related to the amount of ASMM. In total, 18.8% of the participants presented SO according to any diagnostic criteria related to obesity. Our results suggest significant differences in the number of SO cases depending on diagnostic criteria used to determine the participants’ obesity. BMI, WC, and TBF% were shown as principal variables to be included in obesity diagnosis within the SO construct. These findings underscore the need to unify criteria to standardize the diagnosis of SO in the global population

Prevalence of Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Valencia, Spain

This study is an observational and cross-sectional study on the prevalence of sarcopenic disease in 202 autonomous older adults; 18.8 and 81.2% were men and women, respectively, living in their own homes in Valencia, Spain. Sarcopenia was diagnosed using the criteria and cutting points for the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2), using the tests: SARC-F, grip strength, sit-to-stand, gait speed, appendicular skeletal muscle mass and short physical performance battery. According to the EWGSOP2 criteria, probable sarcopenia was present in 21.1% and 18.3% of men and women, respectively, and the sum of confirmed and severe sarcopenia was 7.9% and 7.3% in men and in women, respectively. A relationship was shown between the prevalence of the disease and the age of the participants, but no significant differences were found between the sum of confirmed and severe sarcopenia between the sexes, nor a relationship between the amount of muscle mass and the strength of grip. The SARC-F questionnaire diagnosed 40% of the sarcopenia cases present in the study. More thorough research is needed to continue using the EWGSOP2 criteria in different populations to establish a correct prevalence of sarcopenic disease in different populations of the world