The Coexistence Between Probable Sarcopenia, Undernutrition and Frailty in Geriatric Outpatients

Objective: Sarcopenia, undernutrition and frailty are three interrelated geriatric problems with strong associations with mortality and morbidity. This study assesses coexistence of probable sarcopenia, undernutrition and frailty in patients admitted to outpatient clinics in our country.Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of participants over the age of 60 years who applied to the geriatric outpatient clinics of a university hospital between December 2012 and August 2021. All of the participants were screened for frailty using the FRAIL scale, while the mini nutritional assessment-short form was used for undernutrition screening. Hand grip strength was measured using a Jamar hydraulic hand dynamometer, based on the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People definition regional cut-offs (<35 kg <20 kg in males and females, respectively).Results: Included in the study were 438 participants with a mean age of 74+6.7, 129 of whom were male (29.5%). The prevalence of three clinical conditions (probable sarcopenia, undernutrition and frailty) was 48.8% (214), 24.2% (106) and 65.1% (285), respectively. Both probable sarcopenia and undernutrition were detected in 15.5% (68%), and 13.6% (60) of the sample had all three conditions.Conclusion: The majority of patients in the study were either frail (65.1%), probable sarcopenic (48.8%) or undernourished (24.2%), and the coexistence of all three clinical conditions was significant, affecting 13.6% of the total (60). Our study is the first to investigate the overlaps of the three interrelated geriatric syndromes in patients who applied to geriatric outpatient clinics.