Association of clinical parameters of sarcopenia and cognitive impairment in older people: cross-sectional study

Abstract

Abstract Objective To associate clinical parameters of sarcopenia with cognitive impairment in older people. Method Cross-sectional study with 263 older adults (≥60 years) treated at a specialized public health facility. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were used to characterize the sample and the clinical parameters of sarcopenia (muscle strength, muscle mass and physical performance) were assessed based on handgrip strength (HGS), calf circumference (CC) and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to evaluate cognitive status. Associations were analyzed by simple and multiple linear and logistic regression considering the clinical parameters of sarcopenia (independent variables) and cognitive status (dependent variable), adjusted for age, sex, years of schooling, number of medications, nutritional status and functional capacity. Results Of participants with cognitive impairment, 59.6% exhibited low muscle strength. Conclusion Low muscle strength was the sarcopenia parameter independently associated with cognitive impairment. This information is useful in highlighting the likelihood of cognitive impairment when poor muscle strength is identified in older people.