Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41981641›Full record

ArticlePediatric rheumatology online journal2026

Investigating the utility of sarcopenia associated SARC-F and MSRA questionnaires in identifying falls and self-reported functional impairment in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Amaani Ahmad, Sameera Oruganti, Zahra Ladan, Nicole Y Zhang, Louise Willoughby, Fatima Yousaf, Vithushi Karunakaran, Souraya Sayegh, Charalambos Hadjicharalambous, James Glanville and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric rheumatology online journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Amaani Ahmad *Ageing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine, University College London (UCL), London, UK.
Sameera Oruganti *Ageing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine, University College London (UCL), London, UK. sameera.oruganti.20@ucl.ac.uk.
Zahra LadanAgeing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine, University College London (UCL), London, UK.
Nicole Y ZhangAgeing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine, University College London (UCL), London, UK.
Louise WilloughbyAgeing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine, University College London (UCL), London, UK.
Fatima YousafAgeing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine, University College London (UCL), London, UK.
Vithushi KarunakaranDepartment of Rheumatology, University College Hospital London, London, UK.
Souraya SayeghDepartment of Rheumatology, University College Hospital London, London, UK.
Charalambos HadjicharalambousDepartment of Rheumatology, University College Hospital London, London, UK.
James GlanvilleAgeing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine, University College London (UCL), London, UK.
Madhura CastelinoAgeing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine, University College London (UCL), London, UK.
Corinne FisherAgeing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine, University College London (UCL), London, UK.
Maria LeandroAgeing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine, University College London (UCL), London, UK.
Venkat R ReddyAgeing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine, University College London (UCL), London, UK. v.reddy@ucl.ac.uk.
Debajit SenAgeing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine, University College London (UCL), London, UK. d.sen@nhs.net.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionChronic inflammation associated with ageing contributes to sarcopenia-related risk of falls and multimorbidity. The SARC-F questionnaire, based on strength, ambulation, rising from a chair, climbing stairs and falling, and MSRA (mini sarcopenia risk assessment) are validated tools to identify sarcopenia in elderly people. Here, we investigated whether SARC-F and MSRA questionnaires capture higher rates of self-reported functional difficulties and falls in young individuals living with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

methodsJIA patients and healthy participants were invited to complete an online survey including the SARC-F, MSRA-5, and MSRA-7 questionnaires. Additional questions explored their nutrition and exercise habits.

resultsWe invited 101 healthy participants and 41 patients with JIA. Of the 41 JIA respondents, the median age was 23 years and 25 (61%) were female. According to the SARC-F, MSRA-5, and MSRA-7 questionnaires, 20%, 47%, and 33% screened positive according to the respective threshold criteria. Around 27% of JIA patients reported at least one fall in the past year compared to around 33% of healthy participants. However, 20% of JIA participants reported more than four falls in the past year in contrast to 4% of healthy participants. Furthermore, 44% of JIA participants reported difficulty climbing stairs and 17% reported limited ability to walk one kilometer.

conclusionsSARC-F identified a higher proportion of young adults with JIA reporting functional difficulties and recurrent falls compared with healthy controls. MSRA-5 showed differences in some risk-factor domains. However, without validation against objective measures of muscle mass, strength, or performance, these questionnaires primarily reflect multifactorial JIA-related musculoskeletal impairment rather than sarcopenia per se. Further studies with gold-standard sarcopenia assessments are needed.

Indexed as

Accidental FallsArthritis, JuvenileSarcopeniaAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansMaleRisk AssessmentSelf ReportSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultJuvenile idiopathic arthritisMSRASARC-FSarcopenia

Identifiers

PMID41981641
PMCPMC13237908

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.