(P170) SARC-F PREDICTS POOR MOTOR FUNCTION AND PROGNOSIS IN OLDER PATIENTS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE WITH COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT

Background: Older patients with cardiovascular disease have a high rate of sarcopenia. The SARC-F questionnaire is a simple and inexpensive method to assess sarcopenia. It has been reported that higher SARC-F scores are associated with diminished motor function and life expectancy in patients with cardiovascular disease. However, in older patients with cardiovascular disease living with cognitive decline, it is unclear whether sarcopenia assessed by the SARC-F is associated with poor motor function and prognosis.

METHODS AND RESULTS: This retrospective study was performed using a cohort of patients with cardiovascular disease (≥ 60 years old) who completed the SARC-F and Mini-Cog questionnaires. Patients who had a Mini-Cog score fewer than 3 points (i.e., patients with cognitive decline) were included in the study. The SARC-F consists of five questions on strength, assistance in walking, rising from a chair, climbing stairs, and falls (0–2 points each). Sarcopenia was defined as a total score ≥ 4 points. Motor function was assessed by handgrip strength, leg strength, walking speed, 6-minute walking distance (6MWD), and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the associations between sarcopenia (i.e., SARC-F score ≥ 4 points) and each motor function performance. A survival analysis and poisson regression analysis were also performed using composite events of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease re-hospitalization. The study included 408 subjects (median age 78 years [interquartile range: 73–84 years], 65.4% male). Sarcopenia (SARC-F ≥ 4 points) was associated with poorer motor function test outcomes (all P < 0.001). The correlations remained significant after adjusting for comorbidities (e.g., anemia, prior heart failure, and renal dysfunction). Sarcopenia was also associated with increased mortality (hazard ratio: 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–2.43) and number of cardiovascular disease re-hospitalization (incidence rate ratio: 1.93; 95% CI: 1.33–2.81) after adjusting for the comorbidities.

Conclusion: In older cardiovascular disease patients with cognitive impairment, the SARC-F questionnaire may be a simple and inexpensive tool to identify patients with declined motor function and poor prognosis.