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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Nov 2.
Published in final edited form as: Br J Hosp Med (Lond). 2018 May 2;79(5):253–258. doi: 10.12968/hmed.2018.79.5.253

Table 2.

Cut-off thresholds for the diagnosis of sarcopenia employed by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), International Working Group on Sarcopenia (IWGS), Foundation of the National Institute of Health (FNIH) and Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia (AWGS). DXA = dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. ALM = appendicular lean mass (kg). BMI = body mass index. (Cruz-Jentoft et al., 2010, Fielding et al., 2011, Chen et al., 2014, Studenski et al., 2014).

Working Group Diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia
Muscle mass (DXA) Muscle strength Physical performance
European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) ALM/height2

Several similar cut-offs based on different reference groups, e.g.

Men: ≤7.23 kg/m2
Women: ≤5.67 kg/m2 		Grip strength

Men: < 30kg
Women: < 20 kg

Also provide cut-offs based on patient’s BMI.		 Gait speed


Both sexes:

≤ 0.8 m/s
International Working Group on Sarcopenia (IWGS) ALM/height2

Men: ≤7.23 kg/m2
Women: ≤5.67 kg/m2 		N/A Gait speed

Both sexes:

< 1m/s
Foundation of the National Institute of Health (FNIH) ALM/BMI

Men:< 0.789
Women: < 0.512		 Grip strength

Men: < 26 kg
Women: < 16 kg		 N/A
Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia (AWGS) ALM/height2

Men: < 7.0 kg/m2
Women: < 5.4 kg/m2 		Grip strength

Men: < 26 kg
Women: < 18 kg		 Gait speed

Both sexes:

< 0.8 m/s