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Objectives: Sarcopenia is prevalent among geriatric patients and it has a high rate of negative health related outcomes. Diagnostic and assessment approaches are not always feasible. The aim of the study was to detect a valid screening tool for sarcopenia that could be used easily in acute care setting. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in Geriatrics department, Ain Shams University Hospital. 127 inpatient elderly participants were recruited. Sarcopenia was defined according to the European Working Groups on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) criteria as low skeletal muscle mass with either low handgrip strength or slow gait speed. Muscle mass was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Two screening methods for sarcopenia were investigated, namely SARC-F questionnaire and Ishii equation including age, handgrip, and calf circumference (CC). Results: Both SARC-F questionnaire and Ishii equation can detect sarcopenia in both genders and both showed good agreement with the standard diagnostic method. Combining SARC-F to Ishii equation improved the diagnostic accuracy, with a higher sensitivity and specificity. Conclusions: SARC-F and Ishii equation could be used as a valid simple screening tool in acute hospital setting. Combing these two screening tools resulted in better diagnostic accuracy with higher sensitivity and specificity.

Background: The term "frailty" has been used clinically as a global concept to describe a condition, common in the old, of impaired strength, endurance, and balance, vulnerability to trauma and other stressors, and high risk for morbidity, disability, and mortality. A variety of factors may contribute to frailty or to one or more of its specific features. These include inflammatory, musculoskeletal, cardio respiratory, metabolic, hematologic, neurologic, immunologic and endocrine factors. Hormones important to the development of frailty that has been proposed include testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Objective: to study the association between LH level and frailty among the elderly Method: A case control study was carried out. The case group included 80 Frail elderly subjects selected according to the American Geriatric Society Criteria; whereas 80 non-Frail elderly subjects were selected as the control group. Each participant was subjected to Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and laboratory assessment of luteinizing hormone. Results: LH level was lower in frail subjects compared to non frail. Lower levels were significantly correlated with increased degree of dependency in both frail males and females. Conclusion: Luteinizing hormone level was lower among frail elderly. Further studies are needed to confirm such an association and to plan clinical practice accordingly.

Objectives: to assess pattern of symptomatic idiopathic OA in the elderly and the possible risk factors in that group of patients. Subjects and methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 100 patients aged ≥ 60 years from Ain Shams University hospital, each patient was subjected to comprehensive geriatric assessment. Hip, hand, and knee OA were diagnosed by American College of Rheumatology criteria, and 1 st metatarso-phalangeal , talonavicular, wrist joints, lumbar apophyseal joints and cervical apophyseal joints were diagnosed by presence of any of clinical manifestations plus Kellgren and Lawrence grading (≥ grade 2). Risk factors were reported by history, examination and occupational exposure questionnaire. Results: Knee, hip and hand OA were present in 80%, 23% and 30% consecutively. 38% were obese and 12% were smoker. Seventy one percent were at risk of carrying heavy objects. Females have significantly more knee, hand, wrist, cervical and foot OA than males. Females were more obese and less smoker (P= 0.002 and ˂0.001 consecutively). Conclusion: Females have overall and individualized sites (including: knee, hand, wrist, cervical and foot) OA more than males, and higher risk factors than males (including BMI and repeating the same movement in many sites).