Impact of sarcopenia on muscle strength and exercise capacity in elderly patients with chronic heart failure

Objective To investigate the impact of sarcopenia on muscle strength and exercise capacity in elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods One hundred and sixteen inpatient aged ≥65 years with CHF were enrolled in the study. General clinical characteristics were collected with questionnaire; the appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) was assessed with body composition analyzer; the arm muscle strength was measured and a 6m-walk test was performed. The sarcopenia was evaluated according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) criteria. Simple regression analysis and logistic regression were used to analyze the correlation between sarcopenia and decreased muscle strength, exercise capacity in elderly CHF patients. Results Among 116 elderly CHF patients, sarcopenia was confirmed in 42 patients(36.2%). Patients with sarcopenia had poorer cardiac function and lower muscle strength, ASM and 6m-walking speed than patients without sarcopenia did(allP<0.05). Simple regression analysis showed positive correlation between ASM and muscle strength in both groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjustment for confounders, ASM reduction was an independent risk factor for reducedexercisecapacity(OR=0.158, 95%CI: 0.055-0.455, P<0.05). Conclusion Sarcopenia is a common complication in elderly patients with CHF and may lead to decreased muscle strength and exercise capacity. Key words: Aged; Chronic heart failure; Sarcopenia; Exercise capacity