Impact of Using Population-Specific Cut-Points, Self-Reported Health, and Socio-Economic Parameters to Predict Sarcopenia: A Cross-Sectional Study in Community-Dwelling Kosovans Aged 60 Years and Older

Abstract

The age-related decline of muscle strength, mass, and physical performance (sarcopenia) has been raising concerns among the scientific and healthcare communities. This decline may differ between populations, age groups, and sexes. Therefore, we aimed to explore sarcopenia together with the impact of health and socio-economic parameters in mature Kosovans. A cross-sectional study was conducted on community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 60 years (n = 240, 47.1% female) from the Prishtina region. Sarcopenia was identified using the following criteria: (i) the European Working Group in Sarcopenia for Older People (EWGSOP1), (ii) the revised EWGSOP2 algorithms, and (iii) sex-specific cut-points derived from the Kosovan population. In males, pre-sarcopenia/probable sarcopenia was detected from the EWGSOP1, EWGSOP2 and Kosovan-specific criteria at values of 3.1%, 5.5%, and 28.3%; sarcopenia was detected at 1.6%, 5.5%, and 0.0%, and severe sarcopenia was detected at 4.7%, 2.4%, and 4.7%, respectively. Pre-sarcopenia was lower in females (0.9%, 5.3%, 16.8%), with no cases of sarcopenia or severe sarcopenia detected by either algorithm. Sarcopenic males were older, had a lower weight, BMI, skeletal muscle mass, performance score, nutritional status (p < 0.001), educational level (p = 0.035), and higher malnourishment risk (p = 0.005). It is notable that high overweight and obesity levels were also detected (93.8% of females, 77.1% of males). This study highlights the importance of using population-specific cut-points when diagnosing sarcopenia, as otherwise its occurrence may be underestimated, especially in obese persons. Age, body composition, physical performance, health, and socio-economic conditions can influence the occurrence of sarcopenia.