Sex differences in sarcopenia prevalence and muscle-related outcomes among post-stroke inpatients.

BACKGROUND

Sex differences in sarcopenia prevalence and recovery patterns among post-stroke patients remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate sex differences in sarcopenia prevalence, improvement rates, and changes in muscle-related indices among post-stroke patients in rehabilitation settings.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a post-acute rehabilitation hospital. Sarcopenia was diagnosed using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria. The primary outcomes were sarcopenia status and muscle-related indices (handgrip strength and skeletal muscle mass index) at discharge. Propensity score-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between sex and non-sarcopenia at discharge.

RESULTS

A total of 598 patients (274 women) with a mean age of 71.6 years were analyzed. Women showed higher sarcopenia prevalence at admission compared to men (47.4% vs 34.2%, p = 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, male sex was positively associated with non-sarcopenia at discharge (OR 1.046, 95% CI 1.009-1.104, p < 0.001) and greater improvements in handgrip strength (B = 1.93, p = 0.031) and skeletal muscle mass index (B = 0.322, p = 0.019).

CONCLUSION

This study revealed significant sex differences in sarcopenia among post-stroke rehabilitation patients. While women showed higher sarcopenia prevalence at admission, men demonstrated better improvements in muscle-related outcomes.