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Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Background/aim: Sarcopenia is a geriatric syndrome characterized by progressive impairments in skeletal muscle mass and performance, with chronic low-grade systemic inflammation playing a pivotal role in its development. The C-reactive protein–albumin–lymphocyte (CALLY) index reflects inflammatory burden alongside immune and nutritional status; however, its association with sarcopenia in older populations has yet to be sufficiently elucidated. The present study investigates the relationship between CALLY index values and probable sarcopenia (PS) in a large cohort of geriatric outpatients.

Materials and methods: Included in this retrospective cross-sectional study were 2042 geriatric outpatients aged ≥65 years who were assessed between May 2022 and March 2025. PS was defined based on EWGSOP-2 criteria (handgrip strength or chair stand test), while sarcopenia risk was assessed using the SARC-F questionnaire (assessing strength, assistance with walking, rise from a chair, climb stairs, and falls). The CALLY index was calculated based on comprehensive geriatric assessment results and laboratory parameters. A complete case analysis was performed and patients with incomplete data were excluded. Group comparisons, logistic regression, ROC curve analyses, and correlation analyses were performed.

Results: Of the participants, 1092 (53.5%) were classified as PS and 950 (46.5%) as normal. Lower CALLY index values were observed in those with PS and high SARC-F scores (p <0.001), and were independently associated with both PS and sarcopenia risk in logistic regression analysis. In addition, the CALLY index was negatively correlated with SARC-F, timed up and go, chair stand test, and 4-meter walking time, and positively correlated with handgrip strength (all p <0.001).

Conclusion: Lower CALLY values were independently associated with both PS and sarcopenia risk among older adults, supporting its use as a practical and accessible biomarker alongside routine geriatric assessment. Due to the cross-sectional nature of the study, further prospective studies involving a larger cohort are necessary to verify these associations and to assess prognostic utility.

Author ORCID Identifier

YASEMİN ÖZER: 0000-0002-1381-3380

MERVE GÜNER: 0000-0002-7417-5415

SERDAR CEYLAN: 0000-0001-5885-4023

ENGİN ÇEŞMECİ: 0000-0002-2158-9075

CAFER BALCI: 0000-0002-1478-1106

BURCU DOĞU: 0000-0002-4430-6146

MELTEM HALİL: 0000-0001-7597-8140

MUSTAFA CANKURTARAN: 0000-0002-8213-7515

MERT EŞME: 0000-0003-3617-2077

DOI

10.55730/1300-0144.6363

Keywords

comprehensive geriatric assessment, C-reactive protein-albumin-lymphocyte index, inflammaging, older adults, probable sarcopenia

First Page

1185

Last Page

1197

Publisher

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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