Aim The aim of the present study was to clarify the relationship between sarcopenia, as defined by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People, and the recovery of the capability to carry out activities of daily living in convalescent stroke patients who completed a rehabilitation program. Methods This retrospective study included consecutive stroke patients admitted to convalescent rehabilitation wards. To determine which patients had sarcopenia, we used the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People criteria. At admission, participants were classified by either the presence or absence of sarcopenia. Baseline characteristics, including the Functional Independence Measure–motor domain score (FIM‐M), were retrospectively analyzed. The primary outcome to be explained was the FIM‐M at discharge. A multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine how well a sarcopenia diagnosis and various baseline characteristics could predict the FIM‐M score at discharge. Results In total, 267 participants (117 women) were included in this study. Of these, 129 (48.3%) were classified as definitely having sarcopenia. Participants with sarcopenia showed lower FIM‐M at discharge than those without this condition (median 72 vs 89, P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analyses exploring determinants of the FIM‐M scores showed that a diagnosis of sarcopenia independently predicted them at discharge for men (B −4.957, 95% confidence interval −9.902–−0.012), but not for women. Conclusions Stroke‐related sarcopenia appears to be a predictor of how well male patients can engage in activities of daily living after rehabilitation. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 1124–1128.

Malnutrition and sarcopenia often coexist in rehabilitation patients, although they are often overlooked and undertreated in clinical practice. This cross-sectional study aimed to clarify the prevalence of the coexistence of malnutrition and sarcopenia (Co-MS) and its associated factors in convalescent rehabilitation wards in Japan. Consecutive patients aged ≥ 65 years in convalescent rehabilitation wards between November 2018 and October 2020 were included. Malnutrition and sarcopenia were determined by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria and the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS 2019) criteria, respectively. Patients who presented both with malnutrition and sarcopenia were classified as Co-MS. Potentially associated factors included age, sex, days from onset to admission of rehabilitation wards, reason for admission, pre-morbid functional dependency, comorbidity, activities of daily living, swallowing ability, and oral function and hygiene. The prevalence of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and Co-MS was calculated. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to compute odds ratios (ORs) and the 95% confidence interval (CI) of possible associated factors for each condition. Overall, 601 patients were eligible for the analysis (median 80 years old, 355 female patients, 70% cerebrovascular disease). Co-MS, malnutrition, and sarcopenia were found in 23.5%, 29.0%, and 62.4% of the enrolled patients, respectively. After adjustment, onset–admission interval (OR = 1.04; 95%CI = 1.02 to 1.06), hospital-associated deconditioning (OR = 4.62; 95%CI = 1.13 to 18.8), and swallowing ability (Food Intake LEVEL Scale) (OR = 0.83; 95%CI = 0.73 to 0.93) were identified as independent explanatory factors of Co-MS. In conclusion, Co-MS was prevalent in geriatric rehabilitation patients; thus, healthcare professionals should be aware of the associated factors to detect the geriatric rehabilitation patients who are at risk of both malnutrition and sarcopenia, and to provide appropriate treatments.

Reports investigating the relationship between sarcopenic obesity and activities of daily living in older patients with stroke were limited. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of sarcopenic obesity and its association with activities of daily living in older post-stroke patients in convalescent rehabilitation wards. This study was performed in older post-stroke patients admitted to convalescent rehabilitation wards between January 2017 and March 2019. Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on the skeletal muscle mass index and hand grip strength according to the criteria of the 2019 Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. Obesity was diagnosed according to the body fat percentage; ≥27% in men, ≥38% in women. The primary outcome was the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score upon admission, which was analyzed using multiple linear regression. In total, 376 participants (women 44%; mean age 77.5 years) were analyzed and classified as normal (22%), simple obesity (17%), sarcopenia without obesity (32%), and sarcopenic obesity (28%). The presence of sarcopenic obesity was independently associated with the FIM score (95% CI, −16.157 to −5.353), whereas simple obesity and sarcopenia without obesity were not. In conclusion, sarcopenic obesity was independently associated with lower activities of daily living capability in older patients with stroke.

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This cross-sectional study investigated the proportion of patients’ recovery from sarcopenia status and the relationship between improvement in sarcopenia (IS) and function and discharge outcome in hospitalized patients with stroke. This study included patients with stroke, aged 65 years or more, with a diagnosis of sarcopenia, who were admitted to a convalescent rehabilitation ward. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria. Patients were divided according to the presence or absence of sarcopenia at discharge: IS group and non-improvement in sarcopenia (NIS) group. Among the 227 participants (mean age: 80.5 years; 125 females), 30% (69/227) of the patients were in the IS group, while 70% (158/227) were in the NIS group. The IS group showed a higher Functional Independence Measure (FIM) than the NIS group (median 112 vs. 101, p = 0.003). The results demonstrated that IS was independently associated with higher FIM (partial regression coefficient, 5.378; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.709–10.047). The IS group had higher odds of home discharge than the NIS group (odds ratio, 2.560; 95% CI, 0.912–7.170). In conclusion, recovery from sarcopenia may be associated with better function in patients with stroke.