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The letter published in the Gerontology journal discusses the use of temporal muscle thickness (TMT) and area (TMA) as markers for measuring skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and the limitations of this approach in diagnosing sarcopenia. The authors suggest that measuring the quadriceps muscle with ultrasound may offer greater diagnostic value for sarcopenia and recommend the adoption of the ISarcoPRM diagnostic algorithm. They also propose using ultrasound as an alternative to magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography for assessing low SMM in patients with cerebrovascular disease. Additionally, the authors caution against relying on TMT and TMA measurements for estimating SMM due to their low to moderate correlation with SMM. [Extracted from the article]

This letter, published in the journal Clinical Rheumatology, discusses concerns about the evaluation of sarcopenia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The authors propose a new assessment methodology for diagnosing sarcopenia in RA patients, which involves measuring the anterior thigh (quadriceps) muscle instead of the appendicular skeletal muscle mass. They argue that this method is more accurate because sarcopenia-related muscle loss occurs more commonly in the quadriceps. Additionally, the authors suggest that grip strength, which is commonly used to assess muscle strength, may not be reliable in RA patients due to the disease's impact on hand and joint function. They also emphasize that sarcopenia is defined as age-related muscle loss and cannot be diagnosed in young adults. The authors conclude by recommending the use of the quadriceps muscle measurement for evaluating sarcopenia. [Extracted from the article]

Objectives: The aims of the study were to investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and renin-angiotensin system–related disorders and to explore the effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers on muscle mass/function and physical performance. Design: This multicenter, cross-sectional study was performed using ISarcoPRM algorithm for the diagnosis of sarcopenia. Results: Of the 2613 participants (mean age = 61.0 ± 9.5 yrs), 1775 (67.9%) were hypertensive. All sarcopenia-related parameters (except chair stand test in males) were worse in hypertensive group than in normotensive group (all P < 0.05). When clinical/potential confounders were adjusted, hypertension was found to be an independent predictor of sarcopenia in males (odds ratio = 2.403 [95% confidence interval = 1.514–3.813]) and females (odds ratio = 1.906 [95% confidence interval = 1.328–2.734], both P < 0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, we found that all sarcopenia-related parameters (except grip strength and chair stand test in males) were independently/negatively related to hypertension (all P < 0.05). In females, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors users had higher grip strength and chair stand test performance values but had lower anterior thigh muscle thickness and gait speed values, as compared with those using angiotensin II receptor blockers (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: Hypertension was associated with increased risk of sarcopenia at least 2 times. Among antihypertensives, while angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors had higher muscle function values, angiotensin II receptor blockers had higher muscle mass and physical performance values only in females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]