SARC-F Questionnaire Shines as Cost-Effective Sarcopenia Screening Method in Developing Nations: Study

India: An article published in the Journal of the Association of Physicians of India concluded that the SARC-F questionnaire is an effective bedside screening tool for sarcopenia. This is particularly valuable in developing countries like India, where diagnostic resources are often limited.

With medical science advancing rapidly, average lifespans are increasing, leading to a higher prevalence of age-related diseases, including sarcopenia. In India, sarcopenia often goes overlooked, underdiagnosed, and under-researched. A major barrier to diagnosing sarcopenia is the high cost and limited availability of diagnostic tools like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans. Therefore, there is an urgent need for accessible, feasible, and affordable methods to diagnose sarcopenia.

Ani Abhishek Sharma, Senior Resident, Department of General Medicine at MM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Mullana et. al., conducted this study to assess the effectiveness of the SARC-F Questionnaire as a diagnostic tool for sarcopenia in the geriatric population in India.

This cross-sectional observational study was carried out among 300 patients aged 65 and older, both outpatients and inpatients, at MM Institute of Medical Sciences, Mullana, from June 2021 to June 2022. The patients were assessed according to the European Working Group for Sarcopenia in Older People algorithm using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and the results were compared with those from the SARC-F questionnaire. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26.

The key points of the research were as follows:

• Among the 300 patients, 56 (18.7%) were diagnosed with sarcopenia.
• The SARC-F questionnaire demonstrated a sensitivity of 73.2% and a specificity of 37.3%.
• The positive predictive value of the SARC-F questionnaire was 86.51%, while the negative predictive value was 32.84%.
• The SARC-F questionnaire showed good internal reliability, with Cronbach's α greater than 0.7.

The researchers concluded that by using the diagnostic criteria established by the EWGSOP, they validated the SARC-F questionnaire for the Indian population. They suggested that while the SARC-F questionnaire can be used as a bedside screening tool for sarcopenia, it has its limitations. They also recommended larger studies to determine appropriate cutoffs for the Indian population.

Reference

Sharma AA, Kumari S, Sharma NK, et al. Evaluation of the SARC-F Questionnaire as a Diagnostic Tool for Sarcopenia in Geriatric Age-group in India. J Assoc Physicians India 2024;72(6):27-32.