Investigating the Utility of SARC-F and MSRA Questionnaires in Identifying the Risk of Sarcopenia and Falls in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
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Introduction
Chronic inflammation associated with ageing contributes to sarcopenia-related risk of falls and multimorbidity. The SARC-F questionnaire, based on strength, ambulation, rising from a chair, climbing stairs and falling, and MSRA (mini sarcopenia risk assessment) are validated tools to identify sarcopenia in elderly people. Here, we investigated the utility of SARC-F and MSRA in identifying the risk of sarcopenia and falls in young individuals living with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
Methods
JIA patients and healthy participants were invited to complete an online survey including the SARC-F, MSRA-5, and MSRA-7 questionnaires. Additional questions explored their nutrition and exercise habits.
Results
We invited 101 healthy participants and 41 patients with JIA. Of the 41 JIA respondents, the median age was 23 years and 25 (61%) were female. According to the SARC-F, MSRA-5, and MSRA-7 questionnaires, 20%, 47%, and 33% were at risk of sarcopenia, respectively. Around 27% of JIA patients reported at least one fall in the past year compared to around 33% of healthy participants. However, 20% of JIA participants reported more than four falls in the past year in contrast to 4% of healthy participants. Furthermore, 44% of JIA participants reported difficulty climbing stairs and 17% reported limited ability to walk one kilometer.
Conclusions
Our study has demonstrated the potential utility of SARC-F and MSRA in JIA for identifying patients at risk of falls. Whether SARC-F and MSRA have the potential to identify those with sarcopenia in young people with JIA warrants further validation.
