OBJECTIVE: The main objective was to evaluate the performance of the SARC-F questionnaire and muscle function tests used in pulmonary rehabilitation settings following the F-A-C-S (Find cases-Assess-Confirm-Severity) algorithm of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2). METHODS: Diagnostic accuracy study in consecutive patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) referred to pulmonary rehabilitation. RESULTS: Of 205 patients (66.8 years
74.1% men), 29 (14.1%) met the diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia according to EWGSOP2. The sensitivity and specificity of SARC-F were 13% and 92.8%, respectively. Cutoff points with the highest diagnostic accuracy were calculated, with handgrip at 30.3kg in men and quadriceps maximal voluntary isometric contraction (Q-MVIC) at 17.3kg in women. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic accuracy of the SARC-F questionnaire as a screening tool is low and it did not identify sarcopenia in rehabilitation patients with COPD, suggesting that this population could benefit from a direct approach (A-C-S). Handgrip strength determination provided the best diagnostic accuracy in men, with a cutoff point of 30.3kg, and in women, Q-MVIC determination showed better performance for sarcopenia diagnosis, with a cutoff point of 17.3kg.