Biogerontological study of elderly patients depending on the variant of sarcopenia development in accordance with the SARC-F questionnaire

The state of sarcopenia is based on the quantitative and qualitative skeletal muscle losses mediated by the microenvironment, i.e. the losses of bone and surrounding adipose tissues. In order to complete the medical and social assessments of elderly patients, in addition to traditional methods, geriatric assessments of the condition should be used. The SARC-F questionnaire is applied for the timely detection of muscle dysfunction in the elderly. Objective. To study laboratory and instrumental data in elderly patients depending on the variant of sarcopenia development in accordance with the SARC-F questionnaire. Subjects and methods. The investigation enrolled 2,145 elderly patients who were divided into 5 groups depending on the variant of sarcopenia development in accordance with the SARC-F questionnaire. The investigators analyzed the following parameters: glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), triglycerides (TG), homocysteine, total protein, creatinine, potassium, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D). They also used instrumental techniques: tonometry, electrocardiography, and echocardiography. Results and discussion. The biochemical status of elderly people with symptoms of sarcopenia was characterized by an elevated level of HbA1c; TC > 5.7 mmol/l; LDL > 3.6 mmol/l; TG > 1.8 mmol/l; homocysteine > 10 pmol/l; creatinine > 115 mmol/l; as well as a reduced level of total protein; potassium < 3.4 mmol/l; and 25[OH]D < 30 ng/ml in blood serum. The biogerontological study demonstrated disturbances at the molecular, tissue, and organ levels. Biochemical and metabolic changes caused various disorders at the macro levels. The discovered age-associated disorders of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism affect the risk of atherosclerosis, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus and their complications. The identified pathological morphofunctional changes increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular events in the short term in elderly patients with signs of sarcopenia. Conclusion. The sarcopenia course differentiated using the SARC-F questionnaire did not substantially affect the variety of the above abnormal anatomical and physiological conditions. Hypertension is the most characteristic pathological condition that is common in people with sarcopenia. At the same time, the primary component in the pathophysiological gerontological continuum is hypertension, in which prerequisites are created for the development of dynapenic, and later sarcopenic processes, while osteopenic processes are observed in parallel.