Differences in the prevalence of sarcopenia in haemodialysis patients: the effects of gender and ethnicity.

BACKGROUND: There is no universal consensus definition of sarcopenia, although there is agreement that sarcopenia is a risk factor for mortality in haemodialysis (HD) patients. We aimed to determine the effect of using different operational definitions in a multiracial group of HD patients.

METHODS: We measured hand grip strength (HGS) and appendicular lean mass (ALM) by segmental bioimpedance using the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health Sarcopenia Project (FNIH), European Working Group on Sarcopenia (EWGS) and Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia definitions for HGS weakness and loss of appendicular lean mass.

RESULTS: In total, there were 600 HD patients: 373 men (62.2%), mean (SD) age 66.3 (14.7) years, 45.6% diabetic, ethnicity: 281 (48.5%) White, 167 (27.8%) Asian and 149 (24.8%) Black. On HGS criteria, 90.5% of Asian women and 88.5% of Asian men were weak according to EWGS compared to 62.3% of Black women and 52.5% of Black men and 64.5% of White women and 69.1% of White men by FNIH criteria (P < 0.001). On adding appendicular lean mass, the prevalence of sarcopenia was 68.3% for Asian, 27.1% for Black and 36.6% for White women by FNIH and 59.6% Asian, 21.3% Black and 39.9% White men by EWGS criteria.

CONCLUSIONS: Current definitions of sarcopenia report a greater prevalence of muscle weakness compared to appendicular muscle loss in female compared to male HD patients and this is greater for Asian compared to Black and White patients. Because HGS weakness is a greater risk for death, definitions of sarcopenia may underestimate risk in HD patients.