Association Between Quality of Life and Sarcopenia Components in Older Adults

Abstract

IntroductionSarcopenia is a serious cause of mortality and morbidity. Expressing that the quality of life of older adults may be a sign of sarcopenia. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between the Euro-Quality of Life Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS) and sarcopenia components in older adults.MethodsPatients aged over 60 years who visited geriatric outpatients between October 2016 and August 2021 were included in the study. The overall quality of life was evaluated using the EQ-VAS. Handgrip strength (HGS), Chair Stand Test (CST), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), usual gait speed (UGS), and timed up-go test were measured to assess sarcopenia components.ResultsA total of 545 patients were included in the study. The median EQ-VAS score was 70 (10-100). Age, UGS, and HGS were found to be statistically significant determinants of the EQ-VAS (p=0.014, p=0.005, p<0.001) after adjusting for gender, diabetes, body mass index, SMM, and CST.ConclusionOur study suggests that age, UGS, and HGS are associated with self-reported quality of life in older adults. The results highlight the importance of assessing the quality of life of older adults in clinical practice to improve sarcopenia.