Objectives: To determine whether calf circumference (CC), related to appendicular skeletal muscle mass, can be used as a measure of sarcopenia and is related to physical function.
Design: Retrospective analysis of data from 1992 to 1994 of the European Patient Information and Documentation Systems Study.
Setting: Community setting in France.
Participants: One thousand four hundred fifty-eight French women aged 70 and older without previous history of hip fracture were recruited from the electoral lists.
Measurements: Muscular mass was assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). CC was measured using a tape measure. Anthropometric measurements (height; weight; and waist, hip, and calf circumference), strength markers (grip strength), and self-reported physical function were also determined. Sarcopenia was defined (using DEXA) as appendicular skeletal muscle mass (weight (kg)/height (m2)) less than two standard deviations below the mean of a young female reference group.
Results: The prevalence of sarcopenia was 9.5%. CC was correlated with appendicular skeletal muscle mass (r = 0.63). CC under 31 cm was the best clinical indicator of sarcopenia (sensitivity = 44.3%, specificity = 91.4%). CC under 31 cm was associated with disability and self-reported physical function but not sarcopenia (defined using DEXA), independent of age, comorbidity, obesity, income, health behavior, and visual impairment.
Conclusion: CC cannot be used to predict sarcopenia defined using DEXA but provides valuable information on muscle-related disability and physical function.