Publication:

Association between mid upper arm and calf circumferences and cognitive function in elderly

Background Nutritional status has been associated with cognitive function in elderly. Several anthropometric measurement, including mid upper arm circumference and calf circumference are recognized as effective means to assess nutritional status, as they have good correlation with body mass index. This study aimed to identify the association between MUAC, CC and cognitive function in elderly population.

Methods This cross sectional study involved 71 elderly subjects aged more than 60 years old. We recruited subjects from Medan Helvetia district because it has the largest aging population in Medan, North Sumatera, Indonesia. The Cognitif function was assessed using montreal cognitive assessment test Indonesian version (MoCA-INA) and visual cognitive assessment test. To examine the association between MUAC, CC and cognitive function using Kruskal Wallis test and Fisher Exact.

Results There were 42 females and 29 males. The mean age was 68.68±6.35 years. The mean MUAC was 24.3±3.25 cm and CC was 31.5±2.45 cm. There was no association between MUAC and MoCA-INA (p=0.215) and VCAT (p=0.062). There was an association between CC and MoCA-INA (p=0.040) and VCAT (p=0.019).

Conclusions There was an association between calf circumference and cognitive function while mid upper arm circumference was not. Compared to BMI, calf circumference can predict sarcopenia in the elderly. Elderly with functional impairment and impaired mobility may show a decrease in calf circumference. Sarcopenia is often associated with brain atrophy in the elderly.