New criteria of the Asian working group for sarcopenia: High prevalence of severe sarcopenia in hospitalized patients

New criteria of the Asian working group for sarcopenia (AWGS) were updated in 2019. However, the impact of this change on hospitalized patients has not been fully evaluated. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia and its distribution by age and gender in hospitalized patients. Furthermore, we explored the effects of the new criteria on sarcopenia prevalence compared to the previous criteria. From July 2020 to August 2021, a total of 380 patients underwent skeletal muscle mass assessment using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Handgrip strength and usual gait speed were used to evaluate muscle strength and physical performance. Based on both AWGS 2014 and AWGS 2019 criteria, the prevalence of sarcopenia was significantly higher in males compared to females in the age groups of ≥65 years and ≥75 years. According to the AWGS criteria from 2014 to 2019, the prevalence of sarcopenia showed a significant increase from 35.3% to 37.6%. Specifically, the prevalence rate in males increased from 38.1% to 41.6%, while in females, it increased from 31.2% to 31.8%. The prevalence of severe sarcopenia, a new diagnostic category in the AWGS 2019 criteria, was 25.8%. Surprisingly, the majority of sarcopenic patients in the age group of ≥65 years fell into this category. By applying the new criteria, more patients were classified as sarcopenia in males. In addition, a new category called severe sarcopenia is expected to contribute to subdividing sarcopenic patients in detail and facilitating more proactive management strategies.