SARC-F is a Weaker Predictor Compared to Muscle Strength and a Stronger Predictor Compared to Muscle Mass for Mortality and Hospitalization in Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract

Objective: It is known that muscle strength and muscle mass decrease in hemodialysis patients.We aimed to compare the effect of SARC-F (Strength, assistance with walking, rising from a chair, climbing stairs, and falls) questionnaire with that of HGS(hand grip strength) and SMM (BMI) (skeletal muscle mass/body mass index)  on 1year mortality and hospitalization in hemodialysis patients.



Methods: SARC-F test was filled for 67hemodialysis patients,muscle strength was evaluated with HGS,muscle mass was evaluated by performing bioimpedance analysis,and SMM(BMI) was evaluated by calculating using the formula.



Results: The end of 1 year revealed that 12 of 67 patients(17.9%) died.Of the patients,38(56.7%) were hospitalized.The number of hospitalizations was in the range of 0-9.The length of hospitalization varied between2-77days. The patients with low HGS had a 9.86times higher mortality risk (OR=9.862,95% CI=1.190-81.707,p= 0.034) and had a 5.27 times higher risk of hospitalization(OR=5.273,95% CI=1.828-15.207,p=0.002).  The patients who had lower SARC-F had a 3.88 times higher risk of hospitalization(OR=3.882,95% CI=1.340-11.252,p=0.012).A positive statistically significant correlation was found between the patients' hospitalization periods and SARC-F scores(Spearman's rho=0.329,p=0.007),and a negative statistically significant correlation was found between the patients' hospitalization periods and HGS scores.The duration of hospitalization was found to be significantly longer in the patients who had low HGS(19.38±22.25).



Conclusion: SARC-F appears to be a weaker parameter than HGS and a stronger parameter than SMM (BMI) on hospitalization and mortality.



Cite this article as: Coşkun Yavuz Y, Bıyık Z, Korez MK, et al. SARC-F is a weaker predictor compared to muscle strength and a stronger predictor compared to muscle mass for mortality and hospitalization in hemodialysis patients. Turk J Nephrol. 2022;31(4):314-320.