# Establishing Ultrasound Thresholds for Sarcopenia Diagnosis in Older Brazilian Adults

## TL;DR

This study establishes ultrasound thresholds for diagnosing sarcopenia in older Brazilian adults using thigh muscle measurements.

## Contribution

The study provides population-specific ultrasound cut-off points for sarcopenia diagnosis in Brazilian individuals aged 60 and older.

## Key findings

- Cut-off points for rectus femoris thickness were ≤19.1 mm for men and ≤15.9 mm for women.
- The proposed thresholds showed good accuracy and significant AUC values for sarcopenia diagnosis.
- RF thickness was particularly effective in suggesting sarcopenia.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: Despite the increasing use of ultrasound (US) as a tool for assessing muscle mass and diagnosing sarcopenia, its application remains limited because few studies have validated cut-off points for specific populations. This study aimed to propose US cut-off points for diagnosing sarcopenia in Brazilian individuals aged 60 years and older. Methods: Patients schedule for elective abdominal computed tomography (CT) were also evaluated with musculoskeletal US of the thigh. CT images were obtained at the level of the third lumbar vertebra. US measurements included the thickness of the rectus femoris (RF) muscle and the rectus femoris combined with the vastus intermedius (RF + VI). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves determine the sensitivity and specificity of the US cut-off points. The area under the curve (AUC) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results: The study sample (n = 88) had a mean age of 71.8 ± 8.7 years, and 64% were women. The proposed cut-off points for diagnosing sarcopenia using US, based on the mean ± SD, were ≤19.1 mm and ≤15.9 mm for RF thickness and ≤31.9 mm and ≤29.2 mm for RF + VI thickness in men and women, respectively. These cut-off points demonstrated good accuracy and significant AUC values. Conclusions: This study proposes US-based cut-off points with good accuracy for suggesting sarcopenia diagnosis, particularly when assessing RF thickness.