Association between sarcopenia at discharge and functional outcomes 1 month and 6 months after discharge in patients in convalescent rehabilitation wards

Abstract

Aim: This retrospective cohort study investigated the relationship between sarcopenia and Activities of Daily Living capacity after discharge from convalescent rehabilitation wards. Methods: We included consecutive patients discharged from three convalescent rehabilitation wards in a hospital in Japan between December 2018 and October 2020. Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on the criteria of the 2019 Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia, utilizing skeletal muscle mass index and handgrip strength. Statistical analyses were carried out separately for men and women. The primary outcome was a higher motor domain (motor Functional Independence Measure [mFIM]) and a higher cognitive domain (cognitive Functional Independence Measure [cFIM]) of the FIM score 1 month after discharge. The secondary outcomes were higher mFIM and cFIM scores 6 months after discharge, analyzed using binary logistic regression. Results: Among 305 participants (mean age 70.0 years, 148 men), 93 were identified as having sarcopenia. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 16% for outpatient rehabilitation services, 59% for home-visit rehabilitation services and 50% for older adult day care. Logistic regression analyses showed that sarcopenia at discharge was not an independent variable for mFIM at 1 month (odds ratio [OR] 20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.31–1300 for men, OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.11–2.4 for women) and cFIM (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.10–3.8 for men, OR 5.3, 95% CI 0.81–34 for women). At 6 months, sarcopenia at discharge was not an independent variable for mFIM (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.02–3.6 for men, OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.06–2.5 for women) and cFIM (OR 0.16, 95% CI 0.01–2.4 for men, OR 0.00, 95% CI 0.00–1.1 for women). Conclusions: Sarcopenia at the time of discharge from convalescent rehabilitation wards does not independently predict FIM 1 month or 6 months after discharge. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 715–721.