Sarcopenia in patients after an episode of acute decompensated heart failure: An underdiagnosed problem with serious impact.

Summary Background & aims Sarcopenia is a multifactorial syndrome resulting in a decrease in both muscle mass and function. Little is known about the prevalence and prognostic impact of sarcopenia in patients with acutely decompensated chronic heart failure (ADHF). We aimed to evaluate the prevalence (main endpoint) and impact of sarcopenia on ADHF patients. Methods 140 ADHF patients were enrolled between November 2014 and September 2018 in a multicenter prospective longitudinal study. A similar, independent multi-departmental cross-sectional study in 165 ADHF patients was used for external validation of prevalence data. All subjects were assessed on the European Working Group on Sarcopenia criteria. Results Ninety-one patients (65%) had sarcopenia (vs. 53.6% in the external replication regional cohort). Patients with sarcopenia were older and more likely to have eGFR Conclusions The prevalence of sarcopenia in ADHF patients is high and associated with greater risk of non-CV hospitalizations, highlighting the importance of identifying and managing the condition in a multidisciplinary approach. Clinical trial registration NCT03153774.