Author(s): MARMONDI, F., INZAGHI, C., GALLI, L., CERIZZA, C., CASTAGNA, A., SCIORATI, C., ZAGATO, L., MESSINA, C., SCONFIENZA, L.M., BANFI, G., CINQUE, P., BONATO, M., Institution: IRCCS SAN RAFFAELE SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTE, Country: ITALY, Abstract-ID: 1103

INTRODUCTION:
Sarcopenia is an aging disease caused by loss of muscle mass, strength and function, leading to an increased risk of fall and fractures. Because accelerated aging is described in persons with HIV (PWH), we compared sarcopenia-associated measures between elderly general population (GP) and PWH.
METHODS:
Study participants belong to the Grow Your Muscle (GYM) study, a 48-week, parallel-group, randomized-controlled trial enrolling sarcopenic GP >60 years and PWH >50 years, which aims to assess of a home-based, app-monitored body-weight resistance training program on sarcopenia measures. At the baseline visit before exercise prescription, participants were tested for muscle strength [handgrip (HG), chair-stand-test (CST), thigh extensors]; physical function [Mini-BESTest and 6-min walking test (6MWT)]; body composition [fat mass (FM), fat free mass (FFM) at arms, limbs and total body, and appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMMI)] by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; thigh muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) by magnetic resonance. Differences between groups were assessed by Mann-Whitney test.
RESULTS:
We assessed 37 GP [20 males, median age 73 (IQR 69-76) years], and 71 PWH [50 males, age: 61 (57-65) years]. In the GP group, participants >70 years (n=26) were compared to those <70 (n=11): the former showed lower performance at CST (p=0.021) and 6MWT (p=0.0003), lower legs (p=0.011) and total (p=0.045) FFM and ASMMI (p=0.031), and lower CSA (p=0.031). In PWH, participants >60 years (n=39) were compared to those <60 (n=32), with no measures differences between the two groups. However, when we compared only GP and PWH men of similar age, 6MWT performance was significantly higher (p=0.018) in GP <70 years [n=9, age 67 (66-68)] than in PWH >60 years [n=31, age 64 (63-69)].
CONCLUSION:
A reduction of muscle function, body and muscle composition was observed in the GP after 70 years of age, but not in PWH older than 60. Only 6MWT performance was better in the GP than in PWH of similar age, but this suggests that performance might decay earlier in PWH.