Physiological and psychological function differences in the formation of dynapenia, pre-sarcopenia and sarcopenia

Abstract

Background & Objectives: The clinical significance of interaction between muscle strength and mass in sarcopenia is not clear. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the characteristics between people with dynapenia, pre-sarcopenia and sarcopenia.

Methods: Three hundred individuals aged ≥55 years were recruited from rural communities in Yunlin, Taiwan. Grip/leg strength and the skeletal muscle index were used for grouping. Socioeconomic status, chronic disease, the Short Portable Mental State Questionnaire (SPMSQ), the Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5), the Chinese Happiness Inventory (CHI), the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL–BREF) questionnaire and the Mini-Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF) were investigated by analysis of variance and multinomial logistic regression.

Results: The pre-sarcopenia and sarcopenia groups had lower body mass index. The score on the SPMSQ was highest in the sarcopenia group. There were no significant differences in the BSRS-5 or the CHI. In the WHOQOL-BREF, the dynapenia group had lower overall and physiological scores and the sarcopenia group had lower physiological and environmental scores. The sarcopenia group had a lower score on the MNA-SF. In the regression model, key factors for the dynapenia group included age, the SPMSQ score, and the physiological score on the WHOQOL-BREF. For the pre-sarcopenia group, the key factors were age, gender, and BMI. Most of these factors were associated with sarcopenia, with the additional factor of gastrointestinal problems.

Conclusions: Our study revealed that physiological factors were more prominent in pre-sarcopenia and that cognitive function had more impact in dynapenia.