Key clinical point: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were ≥65 years old had a significantly increased risk of developing sarcopenia, particularly if they were men with poor nutritional status and long-standing disease.
Major finding: Sarcopenia was diagnosed in a higher proportion of patients with RA vs control individuals without RA (15.8% vs 3.9%; P = .014). Male sex ( P = .042), longer disease duration ( P = .012), and poorer nutritional status ( P = .042) were significant risk factors for the development of sarcopenia in older patients with RA.
Study details: Findings are from a cross-sectional study including 76 patients age ≥ 65 years with RA and 76 age- and sex-matched control individuals without RA.
Disclosures: This study was funded by Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientadas a Resultados en Salud, Spain, and other sources. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Cano-García L et al. Sarcopenia and nutrition in elderly rheumatoid arthritis patients: A cross-sectional study to determine prevalence and risk factors. Nutrients. 2023;15:2440 (May 24). doi: 10.3390/nu15112440