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Study Title:

Association between nutritional blood-based biomarkers and clinical outcome in sarcopenia patients.

Study Abstract

Background: Although several micronutrients deficiency were reported to be associated with poor muscle function, however information on sarcopenia patients is still lacking. The aim of this report was to measure some micronutrients blood-based status in sarcopenia patients during both acute illness and recovery.

Design: We assessed nutritional status of randomly selected hospitalised patients using anthropometric, haematological and biochemical data at baseline, 6 weeks and at 6 months. Sarcopenia was diagnosed from low muscle mass and low muscle strength using anthropometric measures based on the European Working Group criteria. Micronutrient status was compared between sarcopenia patients and those without sarcopenia over a 6 months period.

Results: Forty-four out of 432 patients (10%) were diagnosed with sarcopenia on admission. Patients diagnosed with sarcopenia had lower micronutrients concentrations compared to those patients without sarcopenia however, the results were statistically significant only for baseline serum albumin, red cell folate and plasma zinc (p < 0.05). Lycopene, retinol, red cell folate and zinc were also significantly lower in sarcopenia patients at 6 weeks. Sarcopenia patients readmitted to hospital had poor baseline micronutrient status compared with sarcopenia patients stayed in the community during the 6-months follow up period but differences were not statistically significant. Both baseline serum albumin and plasma zinc were significantly higher in sarcopenia patients who were alive compared with those died at 6 months follow up.

Conclusion: Baseline serum albumin and plasma zinc concentrations were lower in patients diagnosed with sarcopenia compared to those without sarcopenia, and also in sarcopenia patients who died compared with those alive at 6 months follow up.