EFFECTS OF ETHNICITY AND GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION ON SARCOPENIA AND HAND GRIP STRENGTH: A PILOT STUDY

Abstract

Sarcopenia is gaining clinical recognition, due to the recent establishment of an ICD-10-CM code, however there is lack of clarity as to whether a single definition will be able to universally applied. We aimed to investigate the influence of ethnicity and geographical location on body composition related to sarcopenia and hand grip strength (HGS). Middle aged and older adults (n=111; 70.9 ± 7.9yrs; 40% Hispanic, one-quarter male; 60% Caucasian, one-third male) were screened prior to taking part in the Golden Age exercise program in El Paso, USA. There were no significant differences in body composition measures or HGS between the two ethnic groups. Despite no significant difference in mean appendicular lean mass/height squared (ALM/ht²) (P=0.92), more than one-third of Caucasian females (16/45) were below the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) cut-off for low muscle mass (<5.67kg/m²), but no Hispanic females were below this level. In contrast, similar proportions of men (22%) had ALM/ht² below the EWGSOP cut-off (<7.26kg/m²). A sub-group of El Paso Caucasians compared to age- (70.4 ± 6.6yrs) and sex- (18/56 male) matched Caucasians from Melbourne, Australia, were significantly taller (P=0.019) and tended to be lighter (P=0.18), such that the Australian cohort had significantly higher BMI (P=0.004), and higher ALM/ht² (P<0.001), with only 4/38 females demonstrating low mass. Strong correlations between ALM/ht² and HGS were observed (P<0.001), yet no HGS difference existed between the cohorts (P=0.827), illustrating the complex interplay between lean mass, obesity and muscle strength that needs to be considered for any universal diagnosis of sarcopenia.