Validation of the SARC-F for Assessing Sarcopenia in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis

Objective: Proper screening or diagnosis of sarcopenia (SP) is important to obtain favorable outcomes in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Previous studies have shown that the SARC-F is associated with various parameters of SP in elderly populations. In this study, we aimed to validate the SARC-F questionnaire for predicting SP in patients on PD. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary medical center. We identified all patients prevalent on PD patients (n = 127). Aversion of the original SARC-F was used to assess the questionnaire. Patients with a total score of >= 4 points were defined as the high group and those with <4 points were defined as the normal group. The hand grip strength and appendicular skeletal muscle mass index were measured in all patients. SP was defined as previously reported. Results: Of the 127 total patients, 29 (22.8%, high group) had an SARC-F score >= 4. The sensitivity and specificity of the SARC-F for predicting SP were 70.0% and 81.2%, respectively. The negative predictive and positive predictive values were 96.9% and 24.1%, respectively. The area under curve of the SARC-F score for SP was 0.791 (0.709-0.858, P < .001). The hand grip strength of the normal and high groups was 26.4 +/- 8.5 and 19.5 +/- 6.8 kg, respectively (P < .001). The appendicular skeletal muscle mass index in the normal and high groups was 7.6 +/- 1.3 and 7.2 +/- 1.8 kg/m(2), respectively (P = .152). An increase in the SARC-F score as a continuous variable or classification into the high group as a categorical variable was associated with a higher odds ratio for SP in univariate and multivariate analyses. Conclusion: The SARC-F has a high negative predictive value and a high specificity for predicting SP in patients on PD. (C) 2021 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.