Effects of Sarcopenia on Changes in the Prevalence of Patients with Depressive Mood during Inpatient Geriatric Rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND

The effect of sarcopenia on depressive mood during geriatric rehabilitation remains unclear. This study investigated the potential influence of sarcopenia on depressive mood among geriatric patients in a rehabilitation setting.

METHODS

This observational cohort study enrolled 204 patients aged ≥65 years (mean age, 78.8±7.6 years; women, 45.1%) admitted to a rehabilitation unit between April 2020 and July 2021. Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia: 2019 Consensus Update on Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Treatment criteria, which include low handgrip strength and muscle mass. Depressive mood was defined as a 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale score of ≥6 points. We applied logistic regression models to examine the influence of sarcopenia on depressive mood at discharge.

RESULTS

We observed sarcopenia in 58.3% of patients. The logistic regression model showed that sarcopenia negatively influenced depressive mood at discharge (odds ratio=5.460; 95% confidence interval, 2.344-13.415). Of the 68 patients without depressive mood at admission, those with sarcopenia (n=31) had a significantly higher incidence of depressive mood at discharge compared with patients without sarcopenia (n=37) (41.9% vs. 16.2%, p=0.037).

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia at admission negatively affected depressive mood at discharge from geriatric rehabilitation. Thus, early and routine assessment of sarcopenia is vital for patients undergoing geriatric rehabilitation.