Recent Update on the Prevalence of Sarcopenia in Koreans: Findings from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

BACKGROUND: As recognized by the World Health Organization in 2016 with its inclusion in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision as M62.84, and by South Korea in 2021 as M62.5, the diagnostic guidelines for sarcopenia vary globally. Despite its prevalence in older populations, data on sarcopenia in Koreans aged 60 and above is scarce, highlighting the need for research on its prevalence in this demographic. METHODS: Utilizing the 2022 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey dataset, sarcopenia was assessed among 1,946 individuals aged 60 or older according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria, incorporating grip strength and bioelectrical impedance analysis measurements. Statistical analyses were performed to differentiate categorical and continuous variables using logistic regression and Student's t-tests, respectively. RESULTS: The prevalence of sarcopenia was found to increase with age, with the highest prevalence observed in the oldest age group (80 years and older). The overall prevalence of sarcopenia in our study population was 6.8%. Among men, the prevalence of sarcopenia was 5.5% in the 60 or older age group, 9.6% in the 70 or older age group, and 21.5% in the 80 or older age group. Among women, the prevalence of sarcopenia was 7.9%, 10.5%, and 25.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the significant burden of sarcopenia in elderly Koreans, particularly among the oldest individuals. These findings call for targeted interventions to manage and prevent sarcopenia, along with further research on its risk factors, consequences, and effective mitigation strategies.

Precise individual muscle segmentation in whole thigh CT scans for sarcopenia assessment using U-net transformer.

The study aims to develop a deep learning based automatic segmentation approach using the UNETR(U-net Transformer) architecture to quantify the volume of individual thigh muscles(27 muscles in 5 groups) for Sarcopenia assessment. By automating the segmentation process, this approach improves the efficiency and accuracy of muscle volume calculation, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of muscle composition and its relationship to Sarcopenia. The study utilized a dataset of 72 whole thigh CT scans from hip fracture patients, annotated by two radiologists. The UNETR model was trained to perform precise voxel-level segmentation and various metrics such as dice score, average symmetric surface distance, volume correlation, relative absolute volume difference and Hausdorff distance were employed to evaluate the model's performance. Additionally, the correlation between Sarcopenia and individual thigh muscle volumes was examined. The proposed model demonstrated superior segmentation performance compared to the baseline model, achieving higher dice scores (DC = 0.84) and lower average symmetric surface distances (ASSD = 1.4191 ± 0.91). The volume correlation between Sarcopenia and individual thigh muscles in the male group. Furthermore, the correlation analysis of grouped thigh muscles also showed negative associations with Sarcopenia in the male participants. This thesis presents a deep learning based automatic segmentation approach for quantifying individual thigh muscle volume in sarcopenia assessment. The results highlights the associations between Sarcopenia and specific individual muscles as well as grouped thigh muscle regions, particularly in males. The proposed method improves the efficiency and accuracy of muscle volume calculation, contributing to a comprehensive evaluation of Sarcopenia. This research enhances our understanding of muscle composition and performance, providing valuable insights for effective interventions in Sarcopenia management.

A machine learning model for prediction of sarcopenia in patients with Parkinson's Disease.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have an increased risk of sarcopenia which is expected to negatively affect gait, leading to poor clinical outcomes including falls. In this study, we investigated the gait patterns of patients with PD with and without sarcopenia (sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups, respectively) using an app-derived program and explored if gait parameters could be utilized to predict sarcopenia based on machine learning. METHODS: Clinical and sarcopenia profiles were collected from patients with PD at Hoehn and Yahr (HY) stage ≤ 2. Sarcopenia was defined based on the updated criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. The gait patterns of the patients with and without sarcopenia were recorded and analyzed using a smartphone application. The random forest model was applied to predict sarcopenia in patients with PD. RESULTS: Data from 38 patients with PD were obtained, among which 9 (23.7%) were with sarcopenia. Clinical parameters were comparable between the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups. Among various clinical and gait parameters, the average range of motion of the hip joint showed the highest association with sarcopenia. Based on the random forest algorithm, the combined difference in knee and ankle angles from standing still before walking to the maximum angle during walking (Kneeankle_diff), the difference between the angle when standing still before walking and the maximum angle during walking for the ankle (Ankle_dif), and the min angle of the hip joint (Hip_min) were the top three features that best predict sarcopenia. The accuracy of this model was 0.949. CONCLUSIONS: Using smartphone app and machine learning technique, our study revealed gait parameters that are associated with sarcopenia and that help predict sarcopenia in PD. Our study showed potential application of advanced technology in clinical research.

Sarcopenia classification model for musculoskeletal patients using smart insole and artificial intelligence gait analysis.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between physical function, musculoskeletal disorders and sarcopenia is intricate. Current physical function tests, such as the gait speed test and the chair stand test, have limitations in eliminating subjective influences. To overcome this, smart devices utilizing inertial measurement unit sensors and artificial intelligence (AI)-based methods are being developed. METHODS: We employed cutting-edge technologies, including the smart insole device and pose estimation based on AI, along with three classification models: random forest (RF), support vector machine and artificial neural network, to classify control and sarcopenia groups. Patient data of 83 individuals were divided into train and test sets, with approximately 67% allocated for training. Classification models were implemented using RStudio, considering individual and combined variables obtained through pose estimation and smart insole measurements. RESULTS: Performance evaluation of the classification models utilized accuracy, precision, recall and F1-score indicators. Using only pose estimation variables, accuracy ranged from 0.92 to 0.96, with F1-scores of 0.94-0.97. Key variables identified by the RF model were 'Hip_dif', 'Ankle_dif' and 'Hipankle_dif'. Combining variables from both methods increased accuracy to 0.80-1.00, with F1-scores of 0.73-1.00. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, a classification model that integrates smart insole and pose estimation technology was assessed. The RF model showed impressive results, particularly in the case of the Hip and Ankle variables. The growth of advanced measurement technologies suggests a promising avenue for identifying and utilizing additional digital biomarkers in the management of various disorders. The convergence of AI technologies with diagnostics and treatment approaches a promising future for enhanced interventions in conditions like sarcopenia.

ShinyMetID: An R shiny package for metabolite identification by mass spectral matching.

We present metabolite identification software in the form of R Shiny. Metabolite identification by mass spectral matching in gas chromatography (GC-MS)-based untargeted metabolomics can be done by using the easy-to-use software. Various similarity measures are given and toy example using graphical user interface is presented.

Assessing physical abilities of sarcopenia patients using gait analysis and smart insole for development of digital biomarker.

The aim of this study is to compare variable importance across multiple measurement tools, and to use smart insole and artificial intelligence (AI) gait analysis to create variables that can evaluate the physical abilities of sarcopenia patients. By analyzing and comparing sarcopenia patients with non sarcopenia patients, this study aims to develop predictive and classification models for sarcopenia and discover digital biomarkers. The researchers used smart insole equipment to collect plantar pressure data from 83 patients, and a smart phone to collect video data for pose estimation. A Mann-Whitney U was conducted to compare the sarcopenia group of 23 patients and the control group of 60 patients. Smart insole and pose estimation were used to compare the physical abilities of sarcopenia patients with a control group. Analysis of joint point variables showed significant differences in 12 out of 15 variables, but not in knee mean, ankle range, and hip range. These findings suggest that digital biomarkers can be used to differentiate sarcopenia patients from the normal population with improved accuracy. This study compared musculoskeletal disorder patients to sarcopenia patients using smart insole and pose estimation. Multiple measurement methods are important for accurate sarcopenia diagnosis and digital technology has potential for improving diagnosis and treatment.