The SARC-F is a screening tool used to quickly identify probable cases of sarcopenia. It is a self-reported questionnaire containing five components: strength, assistance in walking, rising from a chair, climbing stairs, and falls. Each component is scored from 0 to 2, with higher scores indicating greater functional impairment. A total score ≥ 4 is predictive of sarcopenia and adverse outcomes.[1][2]
To confirm the presence of sarcopenia, strength and muscle mass are assessed. The cut-off for low muscle strength is a grip strength of < 27 and < 16 kilograms for men and women, respectively, or taking > 15 seconds to complete the chair stand test.[3] The cut-off for low muscle mass, which is quantified as appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by height squared, is < 7 and < 5.5 kilograms/meters2 for men and women, respectively.[3]
Lastly, physical performance is assessed to determine the severity of sarcopenia. The cut-off for low physical performance is a gait speed of ≤ 0.8 meters per second, a score ≤ 8 on the Short Performance Battery, taking ≥ 20 seconds to complete the Timed-Up and Go test, or taking ≥ 6 minutes to complete the 400-meter walk test.[3]