Identification of older adults with Sarcopenia: comparison of two methods

To compare the ability of methods based on skeletal muscle index (SMI) and another one by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) based on both muscle mass and physical function in identifying older adults with sarcopenia. Anthropometric measurements and physical performance (hand grip strength and gait speed) were performed. In order to determine the value of SMI, body impedance analysis was also carried out. A total of 426 older adults, mostly women (60.8%) with mean age of 68.4 ± 6.2 years participated in this study. Methods based on SMI and EWGSOP identified 50.5% and 32.2% older adults as sarcopenic respectively. Method based on SMI showed a significantly higher percentage of men (70.7%) were sarcopenic as compared to women (37.5%) (p < 0.05). No such difference was noted for EWGSOP method, with 28.7% of men were sarcopenic as compared to women (34.4%). Binary logistic regression indicated that aged 75 years and above (adjusted odds ratio: 3.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.9 – 5.6) and having arthritis (adjusted odds ratio: 2.5, confidence interval: 1.3 – 4.7) to be associated with sarcopenia as assessed using method recommended by EWGSOP. The lower prevalence of sarcopenia by EWGSOP as compared to SMI may be due to the more comprehensive method by EWGSOP. Further research regarding validation of these two screening methods against a gold standard of screening for sarcopenia is needed in order to identify the best method.

Effectiveness of exercise and protein supplementation intervention on body composition, functional fitness, and oxidative stress among elderly Malays with sarcopenia

Sarcopenia, characterized as muscle loss that occurs with aging, is a major health problem in an aging population, due to its implications on mobility, quality of life, and fall risk. Protein supplementation could improve the physical fitness by increasing protein anabolism, and exercise has a documented evidence of positive effect on functional status among the elderly. However, the combined effect of both protein supplementation and exercise has not been investigated among sarcopenic elderly in the Asian population. Thus, this study aimed to determine the effectiveness of exercise intervention and protein supplementation either alone or in combination for 12 weeks, on body composition, functional fitness, and oxidative stress among elderly Malays with sarcopenia. Sixty five sarcopenic elderly Malays aged 60-74 years were assigned to the control group, exercise group (ExG), protein supplementation group (PrG), or the combination of exercise and protein supplementation group. A significant interaction effect between body weight and body mass index (BMI) was observed, with the PrG (-2.1% body weight, -1.8% BMI) showing the highest reductions. Further, there was a decrease in % body fat (-4.5%) and an increase in fat-free mass (kg) (+5.7%) in the ExG after 12 weeks (P < 0.05). The highest increments in lower and upper body strength were observed in the PrG (73.2%) and ExG (47.6%), respectively. In addition, the ExG showed a reduction in superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels, and both interventions did not alter either lipid or protein oxidation. In conclusion, the exercise program was found to improve muscle strength and body composition, while protein supplementation reduced body weight and increased upper body strength, among sarcopenic elderly in Malaysia

Sarcopenia and its impact on health: do they have significant associations?

A cross sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Sarcopenia and its association with health profiles and oxidative stress among multiethnic older adults in an urban area of Malaysia. Sarcopenia was assessed using Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and the associations between demography, socioeconomic status, lifestyle practices, health risk factors and blood profile were examined on 388 apparently healthy subjects aged 60 years and above. Prevalence of sarcopenia was 89.0% in men and 40.3% in women with the overall prevalence of 59.8%. It was found that prevalence of severe sarcopenia was 13.9% and sarcopenia obese was 23.5%. Binary logistic regression showed that there was no predictor found in men or women. However, a decline in muscle mass was observed in sarcopenic as compared with normal subjects. Sarcopenia is prevalent and there is a need to implement interventional strategies to prevent sarcopenia and its associated comorbidities

Tahap kefungsian aktiviti kehidupan harian asas dan kualiti hidup warga tua penghidap diabetes

Diabetes merupakan penyakit kronik yang sering dikaitkan dengan aktiviti kehidupan harian asas yang terjejas, terutamanya dalam kalangan warga tua. Kemasukan ke wad bagi tujuan mendapatkan rawatan menjadi salah satu faktor penyumbang kepada kemerosotan tahap kefungsian aktiviti kehidupan harian sehingga menjejaskan kualiti hidup warga tua selepas discaj. Oleh itu, kajian in bertujuan untuk mengenalpasti tahap kefungsian melakukan aktiviti kehidupan harian asas, hubungan dengan kualiti hidup serta faktor yang mempengaruhi kualiti hidup di kalangan warga tua penghidap diabetes dalam wad. Kajian keratan rentas dilakukan ke atas 104 orang warga tua penghidap diabetes (min umur: 67.5 ± 9.2 tahun) yang sedang menerima rawatan pesakit dalam wad. Soal selidik bersemuka dijalankan dengan menggunakan instrumen Modified Barthel Index (MBI) untuk menilai tahap kefungsian aktiviti kehidupan harian asas manakala instrumen World Health Organization Quality of Life – BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) digunakan untuk menilai kualiti hidup. Hasil kajian mendapati hanya 37.5% (n = 39) responden dikategorikan pada tahap berdikari sepenuhnya. Domain menaiki tangga diikuti dengan ambulasi mencatatkan skor terendah berbanding dengan domain aktiviti kehidupan harian asas lain. Domain fizikal dalam penilaian kualiti hidup mencatatkan skor terendah berbanding domain lain. Terdapat korelasi positif yang signifikan (p < 0.05) di antara skor keseluruhan MBI dengan kesemua domain kualiti hidup; fizikal (rs = 0.70), psikologikal (rs = 0.50), sosial (rs = 0.33) and persekitaran (rs = 0.25). Analisis regresi berganda herarki menunjukkan skor MBI mempunyai pengaruh yang signifikan ke atas kesemua domain kualiti hidup, dengan pengaruh yang terbesar dalam domain fizikal iatu sebanyak 36.0% [F(1, 92) = 82.14, p < 0.01, R2 = 0.36]. Secara kesimpulan, kemasukan ke wad menjejaskan tahap keberdikarian dalam melakukan aktiviti harian asas serta aspek fizikal dalam kualiti hidup pesakit diabetes warga tua. Oleh itu, adalah penting bagi menyediakan rehabilitasi dalam perlaksanaan aktiviti kehidupan harian asas bagi warga tua sambil menjalani rawatan dalam wad bagi mengekalkan kualiti hidup selepas discaj

Sarcopenia and its impact on health: do they have significant associations?

A cross sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Sarcopenia and its association with health profiles and oxidative stress among multiethnic older adults in an urban area of Malaysia. Sarcopenia was assessed using Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and the associations between demography, socioeconomic status, lifestyle practices, health risk factors and blood profile were examined on 388 apparently healthy subjects aged 60 years and above. Prevalence of sarcopenia was 89.0% in men and 40.3% in women with the overall prevalence of 59.8%. It was found that prevalence of severe sarcopenia was 13.9% and sarcopenia obese was 23.5%. Binary logistic regression showed that there was no predictor found in men or women. However, a decline in muscle mass was observed in sarcopenic as compared with normal subjects. Sarcopenia is prevalent and there is a need to implement interventional strategies to prevent sarcopenia and its associated comorbidities

The Impact of Poor Nutrient Intakes and Food Insecurity on the Psychological Distress among Community-Dwelling Middle-Aged and Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aimed to investigate the impact of food insecurity and poor nutrient intake on the psychological health of middle-aged and older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sub-sample of 535 individuals aged 52 years and above, from the earlier cohort and interventional studies (n = 4) from four selected states in Peninsular Malaysia, were recruited during the COVID-19 outbreak (April to June 2020). Telephone interviews were conducted by trained interviewers with a health sciences background to obtain participants&rsquo; information on health status, physical activity, food security, and psychological health (General Health Questionnaire-12; normal and psychological distress). Univariate analyses were performed for each variable, followed by a logistic regression analysis using SPSS Statistics version 25.0. Results revealed food insecurity (OR = 17.06, 95% CI: 8.24&ndash;35.32, p &lt; 0.001), low protein (OR = 0.981, 95% CI: 0.965&ndash;0.998, p &lt; 0.05), and fiber intakes (OR = 0.822, 95% CI: 0.695&ndash;0.972, p &lt; 0.05) were found to be significant factors associated with the psychological distress group after adjusting for confounding factors. The findings suggested that food insecurity and insufficiencies of protein and fiber intakes heightened the psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Optimal nutrition is vital to ensure the physical and psychological health of the older population, specifically during the current pandemic