Introduction Sarcopenia has been associated with an increased risk of falls in diverse populations. Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD) have an increased prevalence of muscle weakness and wasting. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between parameters of sarcopenia and a history of falls in ESRD patients in HD.

Methods A cross-sectional study design was utilized to assess 111 participants with ESRD in HD (54 ± 15.6 years; 59.5% men) in a tertiary hospital in Maringa-PR. Sarcopenia status was determined through the measure of muscle strength and mass. Muscle strength was assessed through hand grip strength utilizing a handheld dynamometer. Muscle mass was estimated through bioelectrical impedance. Falls’ history was assessed with the fifth question of the SARC-F questionnaire. Data normality was assessed with the Shapiro-Wilk test. The association of the sarcopenia parameters with a falls history was analyzed with the chi-square test and Cramér’s V to measure effect size.

Results No association was found among the parameters of sarcopenia or its diagnosis and a history of falls in this population (p > 0.05). Participants who reported falling in the previous year were older (60 ± 16.7 vs. 51 ± 14.7 years, p = 0.01) and had a history of cerebrovascular disease (14.3% vs. 2.4%, p = 0.02).

Conclusion Falls history was not associated with muscle strength or mass in ESRD patients in HD. Future longitudinal studies are needed to investigate other factors associated with this outcome.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

This study was funded by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq) and the Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES).

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Comite Permanente de Etica em Pesquisa com Seres Humanos of Universidade Estadual de Maringa gave ethical approval for this work.

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Funding agencies: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq); Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).

This manuscript is based on the work presented at the X Congresso Brasileiro de Metabolismo, Nutrição e Exercício (CONBRAMENE); Londrina, Paraná, Brasil; May 15th, 2025.

Conflicts of Interest Statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest related to this work.

All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors.