Relationship of sarcopenia with nutritional status in patients with rheumatological diseases A single-center observational study.

Abstract

Introduction: Sarcopenia is a chronic disease defined as the gradual loss of strength and muscle mass, impacting the individual's quality of life. The study's objective was to evaluate the relationship between sarcopenia and the nutritional status of rheumatological patients.

Methods: The present case study (CA) of rheumatological patients and controls (CO) was conducted at the IHRED-Guayaquil Medical Center. Manual dynamometry, bioimpedanciometry or bone densitometry, and autonomous response capacity to the frequency of food consumption, physical exercises, and complementary tests were recorded.

Results: There were 60 controls, with 81.7% women, and 59 cases, with 84.7% women. The prevalent age group in CO was 51 to 60 years old; in CA, it was 19 to 48 years old (P<0.01). There was no difference in body composition between both groups, with a similar distribution of muscle mass and visceral fat (P >0.05). No difference in protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake between groups. There were more cases of sarcopenia in the CA group and a more significant number of falls per year. The presence of rheumatological diseases constituted a risk of sarcopenia with difficulties getting up from the chair and climbing stairs [OR 3.2179 (95% CI 1.218-8.50) P=0.0183] and [OR 3.3065 (95% CI 1.3577-8.048) P= 0.0085.] respectively.

Conclusions: It is deduced that rheumatological diseases are an independent and additional risk to chronic non-communicable diseases for the development of sarcopenia in this study group.