Objective: In this study, we examined the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and the factors affecting sarcopenia in patients with PD, using the AWGS (2019 ASIAN working group for sarcopenia) diagnostic criteria.

Background: PD causes sarcopenia, as well as weight loss, fatigue, decreased activity, and slowed gait. Sarcopenia, defined as the age-related loss of muscle mass and function, is increasingly recognized as a serious medical and economic problem in an aging society. It is crucial for clinicians to understand the factors related to sarcopenia in patients with PD and practice personalized medicine to improve it.

Method: Patients with ambulatory PD up to Hoehn and Yahr severity III were included and evaluated based on age, sex, disease duration, levodopa equivalent daily dose, cognitive impairment, swallowing disturbance, presence of falls, the Japanese version of the movement disorder society-sponsored revision of the unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale (MDS-UPDRS) parts I–IV, quality of life (QoL), and biochemical factors (total protein, albumin, anemia). Cognitive impairment was assessed using the Mini Mental State Examination and the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, whereas swallowing disturbance was assessed using the Japanese version of the Swallowing Disturbance Questionnaire. QoL was assessed using the Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-8). Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on handgrip strength, 5-time chair stand test, and skeletal muscle mass.

Results: Overall, 102 patients with PD (58 males), mean age 70.0 years, mean duration of disease 7.3 years were included. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 34.3%. There were significant differences between the sarcopenia and the non-sarcopenia groups in age, sex, cognitive impairment, swallowing disturbance, MDS-UPDRS part III total score, and the sub-items arising from chair, postural stability, and global spontaneity of movement (p<0.05). There was no association between the presence of sarcopenia and the PDQ-8 total and sub-item scores. The factors contributing the most to sarcopenia were female sex, cognitive impairment, and swallowing disturbance.

Conclusion: Even if patients with PD are less severely affected, it is important to teach them how to maintain muscle mass to prevent sarcopenia, especially in females and those with cognitive impairment or swallowing disturbance.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/clinical-analysis-of-sarcopenia-prevalence-and-its-influencing-factors-in-patients-with-parkinsons-disease/