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The following is a summary of “Sarcopenia in Older People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Study,” published in the November 2024 issue of Neurology by Gaemelke et al.    

Older people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at increased risk for sarcopenia, a condition marked by reduced muscle mass, strength, and function, which may be worsened by MS symptoms.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to investigate how the diagnosis of sarcopenia in older people with MS is influenced by using upper and lower-extremity-based tests.  

They analyzed baseline data from the PoTOMS trial, which included 41 older people with MS and 27 HCs. Sarcopenia was assessed using the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2) criteria and a lower extremity muscle strength test.  

The results showed that older people with MS had lower muscle mass and strength in the lower extremities compared to HCs. According to the EWGSOP2 criteria, 5% of older people with MS had reduced upper extremity strength, 7% had reduced lower extremity strength, and 15% had reduced muscle mass. However, only 5% were diagnosed with sarcopenia despite these reductions.  

They concluded that the diagnosis of sarcopenia in older people with MS was more sensitive when a lower extremity-based test was used.  

Source: msard-journal.com/article/S2211-0348(24)00766-1/fulltext