Assessment of muscle strength in elderly as a screening method for sarcopenia in primary care: a scoping review.

objectivesTo identify and map the available evidence for whether a test of handgrip strength (HGS) and/or the chair stand test (CST) have been used as screening tools for the detection of sarcopenia in elderly individuals within primary care settings.

designThis study was designed as a scoping review, in accordance with the methodological framework for scoping reviews, developed by Arksey and O'Malley, and using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews. DATA SOURCES: A literature search was conducted to identify relevant articles listed in PubMed and Scopus databases up to 16 October 2023. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Studies including individuals aged ≥60 years who had undergone assessments of HGS and/or the CST in primary care settings were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Following the article selection process, based on predetermined criteria for inclusion and exclusion, the selected articles were analysed regarding population demographics, the setting in which the research was conducted, the study design, used diagnostic tools and reported results.

resultsThe search yielded 282 unique articles, of which 7 were included in the final analysis. All seven included articles had a cross-sectional study design, whereof one also had a longitudinal 3-year follow-up. The number of participants ranged from 75 to 719. Three of the articles used the diagnostic criteria presented by European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), two used the criteria by Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019, one used the EWGSOP2 criteria and one applied both the EWGSOP and EWGSOP2 criteria to their data. All the articles used HGS to assess muscle strength. CST was not used for this purpose in any of the articles, although it was used to estimate physical performance or as part of the short physical performance battery. The prevalence of sarcopenia in the included articles was 12.0%-20.7%, while the prevalence of possible sarcopenia was 69.9%-73.3% and that of probable sarcopenia was 25.5%-94%.

conclusionNone of the included articles aimed to study a test of HGS and/or the CST as screening tools for the detection of sarcopenia. However, four of the articles diagnosed possible or probable sarcopenia by using a test of HGS and/or the CST among elderly patients in a primary care setting. There is a need for more research to elucidate whether a test of HGS and/or the CST might be used for screening of sarcopenia in primary care.