Frequency of sarcopenia and factors associated with lean mass in women with rheumatoid arthritis

Aim. To evaluate the frequency of sarcopenia (SP) according to EWGSOP2 criteria and factors associated with low lean mass in women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Materials and methods. 79 women (aged 40–75 years) with RA were enrolled in the study. We analyzed clinical data: age, body mass index (BMI), disease duration, methotrexate use, glucocorticoid use, anthropometric measurements, C-reactive protein level, disease activity score in 28 joints-erythrocyte sedimentation rate, bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine, femur neck, total hip and body composition by Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Also, muscle strength and functional tests were performed. We analyzed the correlation between disease parameters and low lean mass with the Spearman method.

Results. 73 (92%) patients had low muscle strength, 20 (25%) patients had low muscle strength and low lean mass, among them 9 (11%) – also had functional disability. There was no correlation between the age of patients and the presence of SP, while the duration of RA in women with SP was significantly greater (p=0.006). There were significant correlations between lean mass and body mass index, glucocorticoids used, methotrexate doses, creatinine and urea acid serum concentration, bone mineral density and falls number.

Conclusion. According EWGSOP2 confirmed sarcopenia was found in 25% RA patients, among them 11% women had severe sarcopenia. Lean mass correlated with the factors related to the disease itself and some general clinical parameters, which requires further study.