Detecting muscle and bone loss

The Mini Sarcopenia Risk Assessment (MSRA) questionnaire is a valid predictor of a resident’s risk of age-related muscle and skeletal loss called sarcopenia, notes new research in the Journal of Nutrition Health and Aging.

The study included 274 older adults aged 66-68 housed in senior living communities. Participants were assessed using the European Working Group’s diagnostic criteria to determine their sarcopenia status, then they were tested with the MSRA questions to see if the questionnaire could accurately identify those with sarcopenia.

The original MSRA asks seven questions:  age, protein consumption, dairy consumption, number of meals per day, physical activity level, number of hospitalizations and weight loss in the last year. A MSRA score of >30 is considered ideal, while those with a score of 30 or less have a higher risk of developing sarcopenia. A five-question version of the MSRA suggests an optimal score of 45.

Participants who had scores of less than 30 were four times more likely to have sarcopenia than those whose scores were above 30.

Discovering more effective ways to identify those at risk for sarcopenia is key, since weak muscles and frail bones tend to lead to falls, fractures, loss of mobility and even disability later in life.

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.