SARC-F is a Weaker Predictor Compared to Muscle Strength and a Stronger Predictor Compared to Muscle Mass for Mortality and Hospitalization in Hemodialysis Patients

Objective: It is known that muscle strength and muscle mass decrease in hemodialysis patients. We aimed to compare the effect of SARC-F (strength, assistance with walking, rising from a chair, climbing stairs, and falls) questionnaire with that of handgrip strength and skeletal muscle mass/body mass index on 1-year mortality and hospitalization in hemodialysis patients. Methods: SARC-F test was filled for 67 hemodialysis patients, muscle strength was evaluated with handgrip strength, muscle mass was evaluated by performing bioimpedance analysis, and skeletal muscle mass/body mass index was evaluated by using the formula. Results: The end of 1 year revealed that 12 of 67 patients (17.9%) died. Of the patients, 38 (56.7%) were hospitalized. The number of hospitalizations was in the range of 0-9. The length of hospitalization varied between 2 and 77 days. The patients with low handgrip strength had a 9.86 times higher mortality risk (odds ratio = 9.862, 95% CI = 1.190-81.707, P =.034) and had a 5.27 times higher risk of hospitalization (odds ratio = 5.273, 95% CI = 1.828-15.207, P =.002). The patients who had lower SARC-F had a 3.88 times higher risk of hospitalization (odds ratio = 3.882, 95% CI = 1.340-11.252, P =.012). A positive statistically significant correlation was found between the patients' hospitalization periods and SARC-F scores (Spearman's rho = 0.329, P =.007), and a negative statistically significant correlation was found between the patients' hospitalization periods and handgrip strength scores. The duration of hospitalization was found to be significantly longer in the patients who had low handgrip strength (19.38 +/- 22.25). Conclusion: SARC-F appears to be a weaker parameter than handgrip strength and a stronger parameter than skeletal muscle mass/body mass index on hospitalization and mortality.