Prevalence and factors associated with poor performance in the 5‐chair stand test: findings from the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study II and proposed Newcastle protocol for use in the assessment of sarcopenia

Abstract

Background Poor performance in the 5-chair stand test (5-CST) indicates reduced lower limb muscle strength. The 5-CST has been recommended for use in the initial assessment of sarcopenia, the accelerated loss of muscle strength and mass. In order to facilitate the use of the 5-CST in sarcopenia assessment, our aims were to (i) describe the prevalence and factors associated with poor performance in the 5-CST, (ii) examine the relationship between the 5-CST and gait speed, and (iii) propose a protocol for using the 5-CST. Methods The population-based study Cognitive Function and Ageing Study II recruited people aged 65 years and over from defined geographical localities in Cambridgeshire, Newcastle, and Nottingham. The study collected data for assessment of functional ability during home visits, including the 5-CST and gait speed. We used multinomial logistic regression to assess the associations between factors including the SARC-F questionnaire and the category of 5-CST performance: fast (<12 s), intermediate (12-15 s), slow (>15 s), or unable, with slow/unable classed as poor performance. We reviewed previous studies on the protocol used to carry out the 5-CST. Results A total of 7190 participants aged 65+ from the three diverse localities of Cognitive Function and Ageing Study II were included (54.1% female). The proportion of those with poor performance in the 5-CST increased with age, from 34.3% at age 65-69 to 89.7% at age 90+. Factors independently associated with poor performance included positive responses to the SARC-F questionnaire, physical inactivity, depression, impaired cognition, and multimorbidity (all P < 0.005). Most people with poor performance also had slow gait speed (57.8%) or were unable to complete the gait speed test (18.4%). We found variation in the 5-CST protocol used, for example, timing until a participant stood up for the fifth time or until they sat down afterwards. Conclusions Poor performance in the 5-CST is increasingly common with age and is associated with a cluster of other factors that characterize risk for poor ageing such as physical inactivity, impaired cognition, and multimorbidity. We recommend a low threshold for performing the 5-CST in clinical settings and provide a protocol for its use.

The assessment of sarcopenia and the frailty phenotype in the outpatient care of older people: implementation and typical values obtained from the Newcastle SarcScreen project

“…Limitations of the present study include that we did not assess chair stand test performance [ 6 ] or muscle mass. These are areas for future work in the development of the SarcScreen.…”

“…In 2018 the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2) consensus defined sarcopenia as a progressive and generalised skeletal muscle disorder, and made recommendations for its assessment in clinical practice [ 3 ]. These included the use of the SARC-F questionnaire [ 4 ] to identify those at risk of sarcopenia, and the assessment of muscle strength using grip strength [ 5 ] and/or the chair stand test [ 6 ], with weakness from either being a basis on which to assess potential causes of sarcopenia and start intervention. In the EWGSOP2 consensus, confirmation of the diagnosis of sarcopenia can then made by measurement of muscle mass if available, and severity of sarcopenia assessed using tools such as usual gait speed.…”

Gender Differences in Life-space Mobility-associated Factors and Structures in Community-dwelling Older People

“…Lower limb muscle strength was determined using the five-chair stand test (5-CST). 26 ) The participants were asked to execute five chair stand movements as rapidly as possible. In addition to assessing the lower limb muscle strength, this test is recommended for the initial screening of sarcopenia.…”

Resistance exercise as a treatment for sarcopenia: prescription and delivery

“…RM) and physical performance (e.g. 5-repetition sit-to-stand [ 62 ]) can help guide progression of the training dose and this process can also be used as a motivational tool with the individual to support engagement and adherence.…”