Mid-upper arm circumference as a screening tool for identifying physical frailty in community-dwelling older adults: The Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study

So Young Kim; Mi Ji Kim; Dong Wook Shin; Chang Won Won; Ha Young Shim; Be Long Cho

doi:10.1111/ggi.14998

Mid-upper arm circumference as a screening tool for identifying physical frailty in community-dwelling older adults: The Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study

Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2024 Oct 29. doi: 10.1111/ggi.14998. Online ahead of print.

Authors

So Young Kim¹, Mi Ji Kim^{2

3}, Dong Wook Shin⁴, Chang Won Won^{3

5}, Ha Young Shim⁶, Be Long Cho^{1

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
² Department of Health Sciences and Technology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
³ Elderly Frailty Research Center, Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Department of Family Medicine/Supportive Care Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
⁵ Department of Family Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
⁶ Institute on Aging, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

PMID: 39473134
DOI: 10.1111/ggi.14998

Abstract

Aims: Frailty in older adults is influenced by various factors, such as poor nutritional status. Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) is a validated, simple, and non-invasive tool for assessing nutritional status. Despite its potential, no study has explored the association between MUAC and physical frailty in older adults. This study aims to investigate this association and assess whether MUAC can be used as a screening tool in community and primary clinical practice.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1178 participants aged 71.8 to 86.7 years from the 2019 Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS). Physical frailty was defined using the Fried frailty phenotype criteria. MUAC was measured as the average circumference of both upper arms without compressing the subcutaneous tissue. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for physical frailty, stratified by sex, were estimated using multiple logistic regression analysis after adjustments.

Results: MUAC was lower in physically frail men compared with non-frail men (28.0 ± 2.9 vs. 29.4 ± 2.6 cm, P < 0.001). MUAC was negatively correlated with the Frailty Index (r = -0.155, P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that MUAC was an independent factor for physical frailty in men (OR 0.986, 95% CI 0.973-1.000, P = 0.049). The optimal MUAC cutoff for identifying physical frailty in men was 28.2 cm (sensitivity 60.7%, specificity 71.4%, AUC 0.672, 95% CI 0.595-0.749, P < 0.001). No significant results were found for women.

Conclusion: Low MUAC is significantly associated with physical frailty in older men, suggesting the potential for MUAC to be utilized as a screening tool for physical frailty in community and primary clinical settings. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; ••: ••-••.

Keywords: Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study; community‐dwelling older adults; frailty; mid‐upper arm circumference; screening tool.