Nowadays, the appearance of sarcopenia (S) or sarcopenic obesity (SO) is related to aging. According to the criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), the feasibility of using salivary cortisol and testosterone levels was analyzed as diagnostic biomarkers of S or SO. One hundred and ninety non-institutionalized people aged ≥65 years were studied, independent of the activities of daily living (ADLs) (Barthel > 60), and sociodemographic variables were determined together with criteria for the diagnosis of S and SO including grip force, lower body strength, appendicular skeletal muscle mass, physical performance, total body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and triceps skinfold, together with the levels of salivary cortisol and testosterone. Our results reflected that women presented a higher prevalence of S and SO (21.2% and 30.2%, respectively). A significant difference was observed between salivary testosterone levels and the age of the participants with differences by sex. Testosterone values in men with S and SO were significantly lower (p = 0.043 and p = 0.048, respectively), which suggests a potential use of the biomarker for diagnostic purposes. No significant differences were shown with cortisol values.

This study is an observational and cross-sectional study on the prevalence of sarcopenic disease in 202 autonomous older adults; 18.8 and 81.2% were men and women, respectively, living in their own homes in Valencia, Spain. Sarcopenia was diagnosed using the criteria and cutting points for the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2), using the tests: SARC-F, grip strength, sit-to-stand, gait speed, appendicular skeletal muscle mass and short physical performance battery. According to the EWGSOP2 criteria, probable sarcopenia was present in 21.1% and 18.3% of men and women, respectively, and the sum of confirmed and severe sarcopenia was 7.9% and 7.3% in men and in women, respectively. A relationship was shown between the prevalence of the disease and the age of the participants, but no significant differences were found between the sum of confirmed and severe sarcopenia between the sexes, nor a relationship between the amount of muscle mass and the strength of grip. The SARC-F questionnaire diagnosed 40% of the sarcopenia cases present in the study. More thorough research is needed to continue using the EWGSOP2 criteria in different populations to establish a correct prevalence of sarcopenic disease in different populations of the world.

Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is diagnosed when sarcopenia and obesity coexist in patients. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of SO under different diagnostic criteria in community-dwelling Spanish adults aged over 65 years residing in Valencia (Spain). The research was conducted as an observational and cross-sectional study with a sample size of 202 subjects. To diagnose sarcopenia, we used the tests proposed by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People in 2019 (EWGSOP2): SARC-F, grip strength, sit-to-stand, gait speed, Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass (ASMM), and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). For obesity diagnosis, we used body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), total body fat percentage (%TBF), and tricipital skinfold (TS). The prevalence of SO was 16.5% in women and 29% in men, according to any of the diagnostic criteria used to determine obesity. A higher proportion of SO was observed as age increased in both groups, although no significant differences were found. Most values obtained in tests related to SO diagnosis were worse in the group affected by the disease; however, there were two exceptions related to the amount of ASMM. In total, 18.8% of the participants presented SO according to any diagnostic criteria related to obesity. Our results suggest significant differences in the number of SO cases depending on diagnostic criteria used to determine the participants’ obesity. BMI, WC, and TBF% were shown as principal variables to be included in obesity diagnosis within the SO construct. These findings underscore the need to unify criteria to standardize the diagnosis of SO in the global population.

This article is an observational and cross-sectional study that related the result obtained in the questionnaire for the evaluation of quality of life related to muscle mass (SarQoL) and the prevalence of sarcopenic pathology measured under the EWGSOP2 algorithm. Participants were 202 community-dwelling older adults living in Valencia, Spain. The prevalence of sarcopenia in men was 28.9%, while in women it was 26.2%. In the case of the SarQoL questionnaire, the mean score obtained for men was 75.5 and 72.6 for women, showing significant differences in both sexes between the results obtained by the group with and without sarcopenia. After the exhaustive data analysis, a high discriminative capacity for sarcopenic disease was found in the SarQoL questionnaire total score and in domains 2 (locomotion), 4 (functionality) and 5 (activities of daily living). In accordance with the existing controversy regarding the use of SARC-F as a screening method for sarcopenia, the authors pointed out the capacity of domain 2 (locomotion) in isolation as a possible screening method for this disease, exposing a high risk of suffering sarcopenia when scores in this domain were below 60 points. Further research is needed to develop new lines of research as these showed in this work, as well as new and easily applicable screening methods for sarcopenia in clinical practice, that allow a rapid detection of this disease in the community.

Background/Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the potential of the SarQoL questionnaire as a screening tool for sarcopenic obesity by comparing its effectiveness in Spanish and Belgian community-dwelling older people. This research seeks to address the primary question of whether the SarQoL can reliably differentiate quality of life impacts between these groups. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving community-dwelling older adults from Valencia (Spain) and Liège (Belgium). Participants were assessed using the SarQoL questionnaire, which measures health-related quality of life specifically for sarcopenia, and a sarcopenic obesity diagnostic method based on a combination of the EWGSOP2 criteria for sarcopenia and of body mass index for obesity. The sample included diverse demographic and clinical characteristics to ensure comprehensive analysis. Statistical methods were employed to compare the outcomes between the two populations. Results: The study highlighted a significant relationship between quality-of-life scores and the prevalence of sarcopenic obesity in the Spanish and Belgian populations. The SarQoL questionnaire effectively identified lower quality of life in individuals with sarcopenic obesity, demonstrating its potential as a reliable screening tool across different populations. In conclusion, the SarQoL questionnaire proved to be an effective tool for evaluating quality of life and for screening individuals with sarcopenic obesity. Conclusions: Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies to determine the SarQoL questionnaire’s predictive value and investigate interventions to alleviate the adverse effects of sarcopenic obesity. Our results highlight the critical need to include quality of life assessments in managing sarcopenic obesity, advocating for a comprehensive approach to patient care.