Objective this study aimed to investigate how sarcopenia has been defined and measured in the literature reporting its prevalence, and how different definitions and measurement tools can affect prevalence estimates. Design systematic review and meta-analysis. Setting and participants community-dwelling older people. Methods meta-analysis of data collected from observational studies. We performed an electronic search in five databases to identify studies reporting the prevalence of sarcopenia. We used descriptive statistics to present data pertaining sarcopenia definition and measurement tools, and the quality-effects model for meta-analysis of pooled prevalence. Results we found seven different operational definitions for sarcopenia and a variety of tools applied to assess the sarcopenic markers; muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance. The prevalence of sarcopenia varied between the definitions with general estimates ranging from 5% based on the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP1) criterion to 17% with the International Working Group on Sarcopenia. According to the tool used to assess muscle mass, strength and physical performance, prevalence values also varied within definitions extending from 1 to 7%, 1 to 12% and 0 to 22%, respectively. Conclusion and implications the criteria used to define sarcopenia, as well as the measurement tools applied to assess sarcopenic markers have influence in the prevalence of sarcopenia. The establishment of a unique definition for sarcopenia, the use of methods that guarantee an accurate evaluation of muscle mass and the standardisation of measurement tools are necessary to allow a proper diagnosis and comparison of sarcopenia prevalence among populations.

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我们如何定义和测量肌肉减少症？观察性研究的荟萃分析

目的 本研究旨在调查报告其患病率的文献中如何定义和测量肌肉减少症，以及不同的定义和测量工具如何影响患病率估计。设计系统评价和荟萃分析。设置和参与者社区居住的老年人。方法对观察性研究收集的数据进行荟萃分析。我们在五个数据库中进行了电子搜索，以确定报告肌肉减少症患病率的研究。我们使用描述性统计来呈现与肌肉减少症定义和测量工具相关的数据，以及用于汇总患病率荟萃分析的质量效应模型。结果我们发现了七种不同的肌肉减少症操作定义以及用于评估肌肉减少症标志物的各种工具；肌肉量，肌肉力量和身体表现。肌肉减少症的患病率因定义而异，一般估计范围从基于欧洲老年人肌肉减少症工作组 (EWGSOP1) 标准的 5% 到国际肌肉减少症工作组的 17%。根据用于评估肌肉质量、力量和身体表现的工具，患病率值也在分别从 1 到 7%、1 到 12% 和 0 到 22% 的定义范围内变化。结论和意义 用于定义肌肉减少症的标准以及用于评估肌肉减少症标志物的测量工具对肌肉减少症的患病率有影响。为肌肉减少症建立了一个独特的定义，