Should we use the SARC-F score in sarcopenia screening in kidney transplant patients?

BACKGROUND: The risk of sarcopenia is increased in kidney transplant (KT) patients. The SARC-F score is a reliable tool used for sarcopenia screening; however, it has not been tested in KT patients. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study is to assess the prevalence of sarcopenia in KT recipients and to investigate the relationship between the SARC-F score and sarcopenia parameters. METHODS: The study included 150 KT patients. Body muscle mass was measured using the Tanita DC 360 ST device. Before these measurements, patients were scored using the five-question SARC-F assessment, and their scores were recorded. RESULTS: 28 patients were diagnosed with sarcopenia, yielding a sarcopenia prevalence of 18.7%. The mean age of the patients was 42.1 ± 13.5 years. Correlation analysis of SARC-F scoring results revealed a negative correlation between SARC-F and total muscle mass, muscle percentage, skeletal muscle mass, skeletal muscle index, grip strength, and walking speed parameters, as expected. Analysis of SARC-F scores showed that only 12 of the 150 patients had a SARC-F score greater than 4. Patients with a SARC-F score ≥ 4 had lower muscle percentage, total muscle mass, skeletal muscle mass, handgrip strength, and walking speed than those with a score < 4. However, only one of these patients met the criteria for sarcopenia. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate that the SARC-F score is associated with muscle mass and strength parameters in KT patients and may be used as a screening tool. However, it is not sufficient as a standalone diagnostic tool for sarcopenia.