Sarcopenia-Related Factors and the Diagnostic Role of Ultrasonography in Rheumatoid Arthritis
TL;DR
Sarcopenia in RA patients is significantly associated with disease duration, falls, functional status, physical performance, anthropometric measures, muscle mass assessed by ultrasound, and QoL, and ultrasonography may be a useful screening tool for sarcopenia.
Abstract
Background/Aims: Sarcopenia is a common condition in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The present study was designed to investigate the factors related to sarcopenia in patients with RA and to evaluate the diagnostic performance of ultrasonography (USG) in sarcopenia. Materials and Methods: Fifty-one patients with RA (aged 18-65 years), diagnosed according to the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology criteria, and 51 age-and sexmatched healthy controls were included. Participants were assessed for Disease Activity Score 28, muscle strength, muscle mass, anthropometric data, functional status, physical performance, balance, and quality of life (QoL). Sarcopenia was diagnosed by handgrip strength and calculating the skeletal muscle mass index value with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Quadriceps muscle mass was measured by USG. Results: Among RA patients, 41 were female, with a mean age of 45.59 ± 9.85 years. In the control group, 37 were female, with a mean age of 47.41 ± 8.90 years. The mean disease duration was 15.12 ± 9.36 years. Sarcopenia prevalence was significantly higher in the RA group (37.3%) than controls (17.6%, P = .027). Sarcopenia was associated with disease duration, history of falls, reduced function, lower physical performance, anthropometric parameters, and decreased ultrasound muscle mass. Diagnostic cut-off values for quadriceps muscle thickness were 1.72 cm (right) and 1.71 cm (left) on ultrasound. Conclusion: Sarcopenia in RA patients is significantly associated with disease duration, falls, functional status, physical performance, anthropometric measures, muscle mass assessed by ultrasound, and QoL. Ultrasonography may be a useful screening tool for sarcopenia, with defined cut-off values for quadriceps muscle thickness. Cite this article as: Kılıç Z, Yurdakul FG, Güler T, Durmuş EB, Nakipoğlu Yüzer GF, Bodur H. Sarcopenia-related factors and the diagnostic role of ultrasonography in rheumatoid arthritis. ArchRheumatol. Published online August 5, 2026. doi: 10.5152/ArchRheumatol.2026.26339.