Prevalence and factors associated with sarcopenia in individuals with stroke undergoing rehabilitation: A cross-sectional study.

Confirmed sarcopenia, by the EWGSOP2 algorithm with DXA-measured muscle mass, was present in about one in four adults with stroke undergoing neurological rehabilitation.

• Confirmed sarcopenia was identified in 55 of 209 participants (26.3%; 95% CI: 20.6% to 32.8%).
• This was a cross-sectional study of adults with stroke admitted for neurological rehabilitation.
• Sarcopenia was defined using the EWGSOP2 algorithm: SARC-CalF screening, handgrip strength, five-times sit-to-stand test, physical performance measures and appendicular skeletal muscle mass by DXA.

Participants with sarcopenia differed from those without in age, body mass index, physical performance, and motor impairment.

• In bivariate analyses, participants with sarcopenia were older.
• They had lower BMI, poorer physical performance, and greater motor impairment than those without sarcopenia.

Lower BMI was independently associated with confirmed sarcopenia in the multivariable model.

• OR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.59 to 0.83.
• Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated with confirmed sarcopenia.

A positive SARC-CalF screening was independently associated with confirmed sarcopenia.

• OR = 6.37; 95% CI: 2.03 to 20.05.
• The wide confidence interval indicates imprecision in the estimate.

Lower SPPB scores were independently associated with confirmed sarcopenia.

• OR = 0.83; 95% CI: 0.69 to 0.99 for the Short Physical Performance Battery.
• Poorer physical performance was also higher in the sarcopenia group in bivariate analysis.

Motor impairment severity, categorized by Fugl-Meyer motor scores, was independently associated with sarcopenia.

• The association remained in the multivariable model, per the abstract.
• Greater motor impairment was also more common in the sarcopenia group in bivariate analyses.

The authors conclude that sarcopenia is closely linked to functional impairment after stroke and support integrating muscle health and functional assessment into rehabilitation.

• Early identification of individuals at risk may support more individualized rehabilitation strategies and improve clinical decision-making.
• The design is cross-sectional, so associations do not establish causality.