Chronic Kidney Disease and Sarcopenia: A Qualitative Review of the Role of the Psoas Muscle Measurement

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common medical condition seen in North America, ranging between 10-12% of the general population, which has significant impact on health care costs and patient survival [1]. Sarcopenia is often seen in between 2.8% to 75% in the CKD population based on the method of measurement and definition chosen to report [2–8]. This qualitative review of the literature for sarcopenia in CKD will focus on the utility of the Psoas muscle measurement. Psoas muscle measurement is a surrogate method to quantify muscle mass and its advantages and disadvantages as a choice for utilization in the sarcopenia definition is explored with the different diagnostic frailty scores published. The role of different comorbidities within the CKD population is further explained in the context of muscle mass measurement and the associated clinical outcomes. The ability and relevance of longitudinal use of muscle mass assessments in the clinical context will be emphasized on clinical evaluation of the CKD patient and follow up nutritional and physical training requirement to rebuild and maintain muscle mass.