PP187 - MUSCLE-SPECIFIC STRENGTH USING ARM CIRCUMFERENCE: CUTOFF POINTS PROPOSAL

PP187

MUSCLE-SPECIFIC STRENGTH USING ARM CIRCUMFERENCE: CUTOFF POINTS PROPOSAL

J. P. Costa-Pereira^1,*, C. M. Prado², P. C. Cabral¹, A. P. T. Fayh³, M. C. Gonzalez⁴

¹Nutrition, UFPE, Recife, Brazil, ²HNRU, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, ³Nutrition, UFCSPA, Porto Alegre, ⁴Nutrition, UFPEL, Pelotas, Brazil

Rationale: Muscle-specific strength (MSS), the ratio of muscle strength to muscle mass, is a potential component of standardized sarcopenia diagnosis. However, robust methods to assess muscle mass are not widely available.  Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) can be considered a surrogate marker of muscle mass, and it may be used to estimate MSS. Nonetheless, no cutoff values have been established for this purpose.

Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2011–2014) were analyzed. Body mass index (BMI), MUAC, arm lean soft tissue (arm LST) from dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and handgrip strength (HGS) were assessed, with the right side prioritized. Adults aged 18-39 years with a BMI of 18.5-24.9 kg/m² were the reference population to derive cutoff values. Low and very low values were defined as -1 and -2 standard deviations, respectively.

Results: Data from 2,320 participants were included (survey-weighted: 52.4% male; mean age 38.7 years, 95% CI 37.9-39.5). MUAC-derived MSS showed strong correlations with DXA-based traditional MSS estimates (r = 0.81 in males; r = 0.73 in females). Proposed cutoff values for MUAC-based MSS were <1.2 kg/cm (low) and <1.0 kg/cm (very low) in males, and <0.9 kg/cm (low) and <0.7 kg/cm (very low) in females.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that MUAC, as a surrogate marker of muscle mass, can be used to estimate MSS feasibly. The proposed cutoff values are practical and may facilitate real-world assessment of sarcopenia.

Disclosure of Interest: J. P. Costa-Pereira Speakers Bureau of: Fresenius Kabi Br; Danone Nutricia Br; Prodiet Medical Nutrition Br, C. Prado Consultant for: Abbott Nutrition; Nutricia; Nestlé Health Science; Novo Nordisk. , Speakers Bureau of: Abbott Nutrition; Nutricia; Nestlé Health Science; Novo Nordisk. , P. Cabral: None declared, A. Fayh Grant / Research Support from: Prodiet Medical Nutrition, M. C. Gonzalez Consultant for: Nestlé Health Science; Nutricia, Speakers Bureau of: Nestlé Health Science; Nutricia