Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass in Older Adults Can Be Estimated With a Simple Equation Using a Few Zero-Cost Variables

Assessing appendicular skeletal muscle (ASM) mass is crucial for the diagnosis of numerous pathologies related to the decline of muscle mass in old age, such as sarcopenia, malnutrition, or cachexia. The dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (DEXA) radiological technique, which is the gold standard for its assessment, is particularly costly and not routinely used in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to derive computationally simple equations capable of estimating the DEXA-measured ASM at zero cost in older adult populations.