Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of sarcopenia in COPD patients, as well as to determine whether sarcopenia correlates with the severity and prognosis of COPD. Methods: A cross-sectional study with COPD patients followed at the pulmonary outpatient clinic of our institution. The patients underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was made on the basis of the skeletal muscle index, defined as appendicular lean mass/height2 only for low-weight subjects and adjusted for fat mass in normal/overweight subjects. Disease severity (COPD stage) was evaluated with the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria. The degree of obstruction and prognosis were determined by the Body mass index, airflow Obstruction, Dyspnea, and Exercise capacity (BODE) index. Results: We recruited 91 patients (50 females), with a mean age of 67.4 ± 8.7 years and a mean BMI of 25.8 ± 6.1 kg/m2. Sarcopenia was observed in 36 (39.6%) of the patients, with no differences related to gender, age, or smoking status. Sarcopenia was not associated with the GOLD stage or with FEV1 (used as an indicator of the degree of obstruction). The BMI, percentage of body fat, and total lean mass were lower in the patients with sarcopenia than in those without (p < 0.001). Sarcopenia was more prevalent among the patients in BODE quartile 3 or 4 than among those in BODE quartile 1 or 2 (p = 0.009). The multivariate analysis showed that the BODE quartile was significantly associated with sarcopenia, regardless of age, gender, smoking status, and GOLD stage. Conclusions: In COPD patients, sarcopenia appears to be associated with unfavorable changes in body composition and with a poor prognosis.

Keywords: Sarcopenia; Body composition; Pulmonary disease, chronic obstructive; Severity of illness index.

Objective: To compare maximum respiratory pressures and spirometric parameters among elderly individuals classified as having no sarcopenia, probable sarcopenia, and confirmed sarcopenia, and to test the ability of these variables to discriminate sarcopenia in a community-dwelling elderly population. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 221 elderly (= 60 years of age) individuals of both sexes. Sarcopenia was diagnosed in accordance with the new consensus of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. Maximum respiratory pressures and spirometry parameters were assessed. Results: The prevalences of probable sarcopenia and confirmed sarcopenia were 20.4% and 4.1%, respectively. Regardless of the sex, those with confirmed sarcopenia had significantly lower MEP than those with no sarcopenia and probable sarcopenia, whereas only males with confirmed sarcopenia presented with significantly lower MIP than did the other individuals. There was an inverse association of MIP and MEP with sarcopenia, indicating that the decrease by 1 cmH2O in these parameters increases the chance of sarcopenia by 8% and 7%, respectively. Spirometric parameters were not associated with sarcopenia. Cutoff points for MIP and MEP, respectively, were = 46 cmH2O and = 50 cmH2O for elderly women, whereas they were = 63 cmH2O and = 92 cmH2O for elderly men, and both were identified as predictors of sarcopenia (area under the ROC curve > 0.70). Conclusions: Sarcopenia was associated with lower maximum respiratory pressures, but not with spirometric parameters. Maximum respiratory pressures can be used as markers of sarcopenia in a community-dwelling elderly population regardless of the sex.

Keywords: Aging; Sarcopenia; Maximal respiratory pressures; Spirometry.

Objective: To establish a cut-off point for clinical and functional variables to determinate sarcopenia and dynapenia in COPD patients, and to analyze the impact of skeletal muscle dysfunction (SMD) on these variables. Methods: Cross-sectional study, screened COPD patients for sarcopenia or dynapenia through low muscle mass and hand grip strength (HGS). Clinical variables: pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength and functional capacity (FC). The precision of the variables in determining points of predictive cut-off for sarcopenia or dynapenia were performed using the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve and two-way analysis of variance. Results: 20 COPD patients stratified for sarcopenia (n = 11) and dynapenia (n = 07). Sarcopenia group presented lower lean mass and lower maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), decreased HGS, reduced FC (p<0.050). Dynapenia group presented reduced MIP, lower HGS and walked a shorter distance at Incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) (p<0.050). We found cut-off points of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), MIP and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) and ISWT. It is possible to identify sarcopenia or dynapenia in these patients. We found the coexistence of the conditions (SMD effect) in COPD - reduction in the distance in the ISWT (p = 0.002) and %ISWT (p = 0.017). Conclusion: In moderate to very severe COPD patients the sarcopenia could be predicted by FEV1 (%predicted) < 52, MIP < 73 cmH2O, MEP < 126 cmH2O and distance traveled of < 295 m in ISWT. Whereas dynapenia could be predicted by FEV1 < 40%, MIP < 71 cmH2O, MEP < 110 cmH2O and distance of < 230 m traveled in ISWT.

Keywords: Sarcopenia; Chronc obstructive pulmonary disease; Musculoskeletal system.