"SARCOPENIA MEASURED BY ULTRASOUND IN HOSPITALIZED OLDER ADULTS" (ECOSARC): multi-centre, prospective observational study protocol

[Thickness of the rectus femorius muscle and vastus intermedium muscle in older Mexican adults with frailty and sarcopenia]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Frailty in older adults is a geriatric syndrome that has gained importance in the last decade. However, there is still no consolidated information regarding diagnostic tools that allow timely identification, and therefore, provide an appropriate therapeutic approach. The objective is to determine the Thickness of the Rectus Femoris Muscle (GMRF) and Thickness of the Vastus Intermedius Muscle (GMVI) in older Mexican adults with frailty and sarcopenia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Cross-sectional, descriptive and comparative study in patients ≥65 years of age, admitted to the geriatrics service. The selection was according to the FRAIL (frail vs. non-frail) and SARC-F (high risk vs. low risk) classification; evaluating GMRF and GMVI by ultrasound. The data were analyzed through the statistical software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) ver. 25.

RESULTS

The number of patients evaluated in the study and control group were 136 respectively. Significant differences were found regarding frailty status in age (years) (Frail: 75.06±7.92 vs. Non-frail: 71.60±5.56; P<.001), GMRF (mm) (Frail: 8.41±3.08 vs. Non-frail: 11.03±3.50; P<.001) and GMVI (mm) (Frail: 6.53±2.64 vs. Non-frail: 8.66±2.68; P<.001); Considering sarcopenia, there were differences in age (years) (High risk sarcopenia: 75.17±7.84: vs low risk sarcopenia; 71.49±5.60; P<.001), GMRF (mm) (high risk sarcopenia: 8.45±3.11 vs low risk sarcopenia: 10.98±3.50; P<.001) and GMVI (mm) (High risk Sarcopenia: 6.67±2.63 vs Low risk Sarcopenia: 8.52±2.79; P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The results found show that there is a significant difference in GMRF and GMVI in Mexican older adults with respect to frailty and sarcopenia. In this way, the present investigation establishes clinical bases for the use of ultrasonography assessments in the geriatric population.

Prognostic impact of muscle ultrasound-guided diagnosis of sarcopenia in older adults with severe aortic stenosis

BACKGROUND

Muscle ultrasound is increasingly popular thanks to its advantages over other techniques. However, its usefulness in the diagnosis of sarcopenia in older adults with aortic stenosis (AS) has not been studied to date.

OBJECTIVES

to analyze the prevalence of sarcopenia using muscle ultrasound and its impact on the health outcomes in older patients with AS.

METHODS

The single-center FRESAS (FRailty-Evaluation-in-Severe-Aortic-Stenosis) registry was used to study patients over 75 years with severe AS susceptible to valve replacement. Sarcopenia was suspected in those individuals with diminished grip strength, and the diagnosis was confirmed in the presence of reduced ultrasound quadriceps muscle thickness, following the recommendations of the EWGSOP2 (European-Working-Group-on-Sarcopenia-in-Older-People). The primary composite endpoint was urgent hospital admission and mortality of cardiac cause 6 months after the diagnosis.

RESULTS

Of the 150 patients studied, 55.3% were females, and only 17.3% were frail; the mean age was 83.4 years. Sarcopenia was diagnosed in 42 patients (28%). The overall survival rate at 6 months was 92%. The primary endpoint was recorded in 23.2% of the cases and was more frequent in the sarcopenic patients (33.3%) than in the non-sarcopenic individuals (17.6%) (p = 0.01). The regression analysis found that sarcopenia was associated with an increased risk of the primary endpoint (HR: 2.25; 95% CI 1.19-4.45; p = 0.02), adjusting for potential confounding factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of serious cardiac complications in older patients with sarcopenia and severe AS is significant. The present study describes a noninvasive, ultrasound-guided diagnostic technique that may prove efficient in its predictive capacity.

Development of Continuous Assessment of Muscle Quality and Frailty in Older Patients Using Multiparametric Combinations of Ultrasound and Blood Biomarkers: Protocol for the ECOFRAIL Study

BACKGROUND

Frailty resulting from the loss of muscle quality can potentially be delayed through early detection and physical exercise interventions. There is a demand for cost-effective tools for the objective evaluation of muscle quality, in both cross-sectional and longitudinal assessments. Literature suggests that quantitative analysis of ultrasound data captures morphometric, compositional, and microstructural muscle properties, while biological assays derived from blood samples are associated with functional information.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to assess multiparametric combinations of ultrasound and blood-based biomarkers to offer a cross-sectional evaluation of the patient frailty phenotype and to track changes in muscle quality associated with supervised exercise programs.

METHODS

This prospective observational multicenter study will include patients aged 70 years and older who are capable of providing informed consent. We aim to recruit 100 patients from hospital environments and 100 from primary care facilities. Each patient will undergo at least two examinations (baseline and follow-up), totaling a minimum of 400 examinations. In hospital environments, 50 patients will be measured before/after a 16-week individualized and supervised exercise program, while another 50 patients will be followed up after the same period without intervention. Primary care patients will undergo a 1-year follow-up evaluation. The primary objective is to compare cross-sectional evaluations of physical performance, functional capacity, body composition, and derived scales of sarcopenia and frailty with biomarker combinations obtained from muscle ultrasound and blood-based assays. We will analyze ultrasound raw data obtained with a point-of-care device, along with a set of biomarkers previously associated with frailty, using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Additionally, we will examine the sensitivity of these biomarkers to detect short-term muscle quality changes and functional improvement after a supervised exercise intervention compared with usual care.

RESULTS

At the time of manuscript submission, the enrollment of volunteers is ongoing. Recruitment started on March 1, 2022, and ends on June 30, 2024.

CONCLUSIONS

The outlined study protocol will integrate portable technologies, using quantitative muscle ultrasound and blood biomarkers, to facilitate an objective cross-sectional assessment of muscle quality in both hospital and primary care settings. The primary objective is to generate data that can be used to explore associations between biomarker combinations and the cross-sectional clinical assessment of frailty and sarcopenia. Additionally, the study aims to investigate musculoskeletal changes following multicomponent physical exercise programs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05294757; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05294757.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/50325.

Muscle mass loss measured with portable ultrasound in hospitalized older adults: The ECOSARC study

OBJECTIVES

The main objective was to analyze the evolution of muscle of the Quadriceps Rectus Femoris (QRF) between admission and discharge, in older adults hospitalized with an acute medical disease in Acute Geriatric Units (AGUs).

DESIGN

Prospective multicentric observational cohort study.

SETTING

Seven AGUs from University Hospitals in Spain.

PARTICIPANTS

Hospitalized adults ≥ 70 years old, able to ambulate and without severe dementia.

MEASUREMENTS

Ultrasound measurements of QRF were acquired at 2/3 distal between anterior-superior iliac spine and patella in both legs by trained Geriatricians. Ultrasound Chison model ECO2 was used. QRF area, thickness, edema, echogenicity, and fasciculations were measured.

RESULTS

From the complete sample (n = 143), in 45 (31.5%) participants, ultrasound images were classified as non-valid by an expert radiologist. Mean age was 87.8 (SD 5.4). Mean hospital stay 7.6 days (SD 4.3). From those with valid images, 36 (49.3%), 2 (2.7%), and 35 (47.9%) presented a decrease, equal values, or an increase in QRF area from baseline to discharge, respectively, and 37 (50.0%), 2 (2.7%), and 35 (47.3%) presented a decrease, equal values, or an increase in QRF thickness, respectively. 26 (35.6%) presented a decrease in more than 0.2 cm2 of QRF area, and 23 (31.1%) a decrease in more than 0.1 cm of QRF thickness. Only 4 (5.4%) patients presented new edema, while 13 (17.6%) worsened echogenicity.

CONCLUSION

One third of older adults develop significant muscle loss during a hospitalization for acute medical diseases.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05113758.