Predicting Slow Walking Speed From a Pooled Cohort Analysis: Sarcopenia Definitions, Agreement, and Prevalence in Australia and New Zealand

Jesse Zanker; David Scott; Cassandra Szoeke; Sara Vogrin; Sheena Patel; Terri Blackwell; Stefanie Bird; Ben Kirk; Jacqueline Center; Dima A Alajlouni; Tiffany Gill; Graeme Jones; Julie A Pasco; Debra L Waters; Peggy M Cawthon; Gustavo Duque

doi:10.1093/gerona/glad165

Predicting Slow Walking Speed From a Pooled Cohort Analysis: Sarcopenia Definitions, Agreement, and Prevalence in Australia and New Zealand

J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2023 Dec 1;78(12):2415-2425. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glad165.

Authors

Jesse Zanker^{1

2}, David Scott^{3

4}, Cassandra Szoeke⁵, Sara Vogrin^{1

2}, Sheena Patel⁶, Terri Blackwell⁶, Stefanie Bird^{1

3}, Ben Kirk^{1

2}, Jacqueline Center^{7

8}, Dima A Alajlouni^{7

8}, Tiffany Gill⁹, Graeme Jones¹⁰, Julie A Pasco^{2

11}, Debra L Waters^{12

13}, Peggy M Cawthon^{6

14}, Gustavo Duque^{1

15}

Affiliations

¹ Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), The University of Melbourne and Western Health, St. Albans, Victoria, Australia.
² Department of Medicine, Western Health, The University of Melbourne, St. Albans, Victoria, Australia.
³ Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
⁴ Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
⁵ Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
⁶ Research Institute, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.
⁷ Skeletal Diseases Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁸ Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁹ Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
¹⁰ Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
¹¹ IMPACT-Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Barwon HealthDeakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
¹² Department of Medicine, School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
¹³ Department of Internal Medicine/Geriatrics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
¹⁴ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
¹⁵ Department of Medicine, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Abstract

Background: Recent operational definitions of sarcopenia have not been replicated and compared in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) populations. We aimed to identify sarcopenia measures that discriminate ANZ adults with slow walking speed (<0.8 m/s) and determine the agreement between the Sarcopenia Definitions and Outcomes Consortium (SDOC) and revised European Working Group for Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) operational definitions of sarcopenia.

Methods: Eight studies comprising 8 100 ANZ community-dwelling adults (mean age ± standard deviation, 62.0 ± 14.4 years) with walking speed, grip strength (GR), and lean mass data were combined. Replicating the SDOC methodology, 15 candidate variables were included in sex-stratified classification and regression tree models and receiver operating characteristic curves on a pooled cohort with complete data to identify variables and cut points discriminating slow walking speed (<0.8 m/s). Agreement and prevalence estimates were compared using Cohen's Kappa (CK).

Results: Receiver operating characteristic curves identified GR as the strongest variable for discriminating slow from normal walking speed in women (GR <20.50 kg, area under curve [AUC] = 0.68) and men (GR <31.05 kg, AUC = 0.64). Near-perfect agreement was found between the derived ANZ cut points and SDOC cut points (CK 0.8-1.0). Sarcopenia prevalence ranged from 1.5% (EWGSOP2) to 37.2% (SDOC) in women and 1.0% (EWGSOP2) to 9.1% (SDOC) in men, with no agreement (CK <0.2) between EWGSOP2 and SDOC.

Conclusions: Grip strength is the primary discriminating characteristic for slow walking speed in ANZ women and men, consistent with findings from the SDOC. Sarcopenia Definitions and Outcomes Consortium and EWGSOP2 definitions showed no agreement suggesting these proposed definitions measure different characteristics and identify people with sarcopenia differently.

Keywords: Grip strength; Muscle strength; Physical performance; Sarcopenia; Walking speed.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Female
Hand Strength
Humans
Male
New Zealand / epidemiology
Prevalence
Sarcopenia* / diagnosis
Sarcopenia* / epidemiology
Walking Speed

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding