Weight-Adjusted Waist Index: an anthropometric measure for frailty in older adults.

PURPOSE: Current measures of frailty often rely on subjective assessments or complex scoring systems. This study aims to investigate the utility of a novel anthropometric measure, the Weight-Adjusted Waist Index (WWI), as a simple and objective predictive marker for frailty in older adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 847 patients aged 65 years and older. Comprehensive geriatric assessments and anthropometric measurements were conducted. Frailty was diagnosed using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). The association between WWI and frailty was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 74.9 ± 6 years, with 56.3% (n = 477) being women and 14.8% (n = 125) classified as frail. The frail group had a significantly higher WWI than the non-frail group (p < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, WWI remained significantly associated with frailty, even after adjusting for other potential confounding factors (OR = 2.51, 95% CI 1.77-3.57, p < 0.001). The predictive ability of WWI for frailty was measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, which was 0.705 (95% CI 0.67-0.73; p < 0.001). The optimal WWI threshold for predicting frailty was identified as > 12. CONCLUSION: The Weight-Adjusted Waist Index shows significant potential as a simple and objective predictive marker for frailty in older adults.

Predictive ability of Achilles tendon elastography for frailty in older adults.

PURPOSE: The Achilles tendon (AT) is the largest and strongest tendon in the human body, and its elasticity is known to be affected by the aging process. However, the relation between AT stiffness and frailty in older individuals remains uncertain. This study aims to explore the potential of Achilles tendon shear wave elastography (AT-SWE) as a tool for assessing physical frailty in older adults. METHODS: A total of 148 patients aged 65 years and over were included in this cross-sectional study. Patients with heart failure, AT injury, stroke history, active malignancy, and claudication were excluded. All patients underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Physical frailty assessment was performed with the fried frailty phenotype. Achilles tendon elastography was measured by ultrasound. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 73.8 years and 62.2% were female. 30.4% of the participants were defined as frail. Achilles tendon shear wave elastography measurements were statistically lower in the frail group (p < 0.05). In the multivariate regression analysis, AT-SWE demonstrated a statistically significant association with frailty independent of confounding factors (OR 0.982, 95% CI 0.965-0.999, p value = 0.038). In the ROC curve analysis, the area under the curve for AT-SWE was 0.647 (95% CI, 0.564-0.724, p < 0.01) and the optimum cut-off point was 124.1 kilopascals. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the value of AT-SWE as a non-invasive and objective tool for predicting frailty in older adults.

Predictive value of adductor pollicis muscle thickness for ultrasound-based sarcopenia in older adults.

BACKGROUND: The adductor pollicis muscle thickness (APMT) is least affected by subcutaneous adipose tissue and can be measured externally. The aim of this study is to identify the predictive value of APMT for the diagnosis of ultrasonography-based sarcopenia. METHODS: A total of 245 outpatients who were aged ≥65 years (49 with sarcopenia and 196 without sarcopenia) were included in this cross-sectional study. Patients with knee or hip replacement, advanced dementia, cerebrovascular disease, neurodegenerative disease, or decompensated heart failure and those using drugs that affect muscle functions, such as steroids, were excluded. Comprehensive geriatric assessments and anthropometric measurements of the patients were performed. APMT was assessed with a skinfold caliper. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was based on a low Sonographic Thigh Adjustment Ratio (STAR) index (anterior thigh muscle thickness by ultrasonography/body mass index [BMI] ratio, cutoff points are <1.4 for men and <1.0 for women) and low handgrip strength. The predictive ability of APMT for ultrasound-based sarcopenia diagnosis was examined. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in terms of arm and calf circumference and BMI between the sarcopenic and nonsarcopenic groups. APMT, handgrip strength, anterior thigh muscle thickness, and gait speed were significantly lower in the patients with sarcopenia. The best cutoff points of APMT for sarcopenia were ≤16.5 for women and ≤21.5 for men with areas under the curve of 0.70 and 0.66, respectively, and negative predictive values of 91.2 and 94.3, respectively (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: APMT can be a useful anthropometric marker for ultrasound-based sarcopenia diagnosis.

The predictive capacity of adductor pollicis muscle thickness for physical frailty in older adults.

PURPOSE: There is a need for an easily measurable and reliable surrogate marker for physical frailty. This study aims to investigate the predictive capacity of adductor pollicis muscle thickness (AMPT), which can be easily measured externally and minimally influenced by subcutaneous adipose tissue, for physical frailty. METHODS: A total of 589 patients (16.3% physically frail, 54.7% pre-frail, 29% robust) were included. Comprehensive geriatric assessments and anthropometric measurements of the patients were performed. APMT was assessed with a skinfold caliper. Physical frailty was diagnosed using the fried frailty phenotype. The predictive ability of APMT for the diagnosis of frailty was examined. RESULTS: Of all the participants, 64.3% were women, and the average age was 74 ± 5.9 years. There was no significant difference in waist and hip circumference, or body mass index between the frail and non-frail groups. APMT, handgrip strength, gait speed, and calf circumference were significantly lower in frail patients than in non-frail ones (p < 0.01). The area under the curve (AUC) of APMT for physical frailty was determined to be 0.627 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58-0.66; p < 0.001). The best cut-off value for APMT was ≤ 18.5 mm for all individuals. CONCLUSION: Adductor pollicis muscle thickness can be a useful anthropometric marker for evaluating the risk of physical frailty.