CRP/Albumin ratio combined with age and hand grip strength discriminates malnutrition risk in sarcopenic older adults.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the C-reactive protein/albumin (CRP/Alb) ratio, in combination with functional indicators such as age and handgrip strength, in identifying malnutrition risk among sarcopenic older adults. METHODS: Data from individuals aged 65 years and older who were diagnosed with sarcopenia based on the EWGSOP2 (2019) criteria and admitted to a geriatric clinic between 2019 and 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), with scores of ≤ 7 indicating malnutrition, 8-11 indicating risk of malnutrition, and 12-14 indicating normal nutritional status. Associations between MNA-SF scores and the CRP/Alb ratio, handgrip strength, and age were examined. Binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to assess the discriminatory power of these variables. RESULTS: The study included 168 sarcopenic patients (mean age 78.6 ± 6.7 years; 84.5% female). According to the MNA-SF results, 8.9% of the patients were malnourished, and 45.8% were at risk. CRP/Alb ratio differed significantly across nutritional categories, with higher values in the malnutrition group (median 2.87 [IQR 7.15]) and at-risk group (1.63 [3.98]) compared with the normal nutritional status group (0.83 [1.88]) (p = 0.014). The combined model (CRP/Alb ratio, age, and handgrip strength) had an AUC of 0.807, with a sensitivity of 77.2% and specificity of 68.4%. CONCLUSION: The CRP/Alb ratio, when combined with age and handgrip strength, may serve as a practical, accessible tool for identifying malnutrition risk in sarcopenic older adults.