Hatice Kubra ASIK, Mert ZURE, Dilek UN OGUZHANASILTURK, Zeynep KARAKUZU GUNGOR
The Medical Bulletin of Haseki - 2026;64(2):147-154
Aim: Sarcopenia and Parkinson's disease (PD) share pathophysiological mechanisms that may synergistically accelerate functional decline. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sarcopenia risk and functional mobility in patients with PD and to compare the clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with low and high sarcopenia risk. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 29 patients with idiopathic PD between October and December 2025. Sarcopenia risk was assessed using the SARC-F questionnaire (cut-off >=4) and functional mobility using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Disease severity was staged using the Hoehn-Yahr (H-Y) scale. Spearman rank correlation, the Mann-Whitney U test, and independent t-tests were applied; normality was evaluated using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Results: Of 29 participants (mean age 70.59+/-12.61 years), 65.5% were classified as high sarcopenia risk. The high-risk group was significantly older (75.42 vs. 63.00 years; p=0.008) and had more advanced H-Y staging (2.37 vs. 1.50; p=0.005). Timed Up and Go time was significantly longer in the high-risk group (27.58 vs. 18.30 seconds; p=0.018). SARC-F score correlated strongly with TUG time (r=0.709, p<0.001) and moderately with H-Y stage (r=0.440, p=0.016). Conclusion: Sarcopenia risk is highly prevalent in PD and is strongly associated with disease severity and impaired functional mobility. Combined SARC-F and TUG screening may facilitate early identification of at-risk patients to guide targeted rehabilitation interventions.
