BackgroundSarcopenia is a condition that is characterized by loss of muscle mass, muscle strength and muscle functional impairment with ageing. It is associated with poor health outcomes, premature death and a significant burden on the global health economy. The prevalence of sarcopenia in China is unknown since most of the studies are lack of uniform standard. The study was undertaken to study the prevalence of sarcopenia and the association with cognitive impairment among multi-ethnic adults aged 50 years old or older in western China. MethodsWe measured gait speed, handgrip strength and muscle mass by using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) for all eligible participants and 4500 participants were eligible for the analysis. We defined sarcopenia using the diagnostic algorithm recommended by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) . We assessed the participants' cognitive functions using the 10-item Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) . Relationships between sarcopenia and cognitive impairment were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. ResultsOf 4500 participants (mean age 62.4 ± 8.3 years), 869 (19.31%) adults were sarcopenia. 446 (9.9%) participants were identified as having mild cognitive impairment, 144 (3.2%) adults were identified as having moderate/severe cognitive impairment. After adjusting for age, gender, ethnics and other potential cofounders, cognitive impairment was found to be independently associated with sarcopenia with a dosage effect (mild cognitive impairment: odds ratio [OR] : 1.52, 95% CI 1.18-1.95; moderate/severe cognitive impairment: OR: 3.26, 95% CI 2.23-4.76). After gender stratification, the association between mild cognitive impairment with sarcopenia in male is not significant, while is still significant in female. While the association between moderate/severe cognitive impairment is independently associated with sarcopenia in both male and female. ConclusionsThe prevalence rates of sarcopenia, mild cognitive impairment, moderate/severe cognitive

Background As one of the challenges of aging, older adults with disabilities are often overlooked in remote areas of many developing countries, including southwest China. Similar populations would undoubtedly benefit from a representative, high-quality survey of large samples, which would also enrich global disability data. This study aims to assess the prevalence of disability and associated factors among urban and rural older adults in a typical representative region. Method A large-scale baseline survey was conducted between March and September 2020 using face-to-face interviews with a multistage stratified random sample of 16,536 participants aged ≥ 60 years. Disability was assessed using the BI scale, with a score of 100 representing normal status, 65–95 as mild disability, 45–60 as moderate disability, and 0–40 as severe disability. The prevalence of disability was estimated by demographics and health characteristics, and their associations were explored by robust Poisson regression analysis. Results The prevalence of disability among older adults was 19.4%, and the prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe disability was 16.8%, 1.5%, and 1.1%, respectively. All variables, including older age, residence in a rural area, higher number of hospitalizations, comorbidities, poor self-rated health, falls, cognitive impairment, mental impairment, and alienation from friends and relatives, were shown to be associated with a higher adjusted prevalence of disability. Only formal education can reduce the risk of disability. Conclusion The prevalence of disability among older adults is high in both urban and rural settings in southwest China, and a number of important factors associated with disability have been identified. In addition to increased attention to the health status of older adults, further research on scientific management and effective disability interventions is needed.

Background Sarcopenia is a condition that is characterized by loss of muscle mass, muscle strength and muscle functional impairment with ageing. It is associated with poor health outcomes, premature death and a significant burden on the global health economy. The prevalence of sarcopenia in China is unknown since most of the studies are lack of uniform standard. The study was undertaken to study the prevalence of sarcopenia and the association with cognitive impairment among multi-ethnic adults aged 50 years old or older in western China. Methods We measured gait speed, handgrip strength and muscle mass by using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) for all eligible participants and 4500 participants were eligible for the analysis. We defined sarcopenia using the diagnostic algorithm recommended by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) . We assessed the participants' cognitive functions using the 10-item Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) . Relationships between sarcopenia and cognitive impairment were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Of 4500 participants (mean age 62.4 ± 8.3 years), 869 (19.31%) adults were sarcopenia. 446 (9.9%) participants were identified as having mild cognitive impairment, 144 (3.2%) adults were identified as having moderate/severe cognitive impairment. After adjusting for age, gender, ethnics and other potential cofounders, cognitive impairment was found to be independently associated with sarcopenia with a dosage effect (mild cognitive impairment: odds ratio [OR] : 1.52, 95% CI 1.18–1.95; moderate/severe cognitive impairment: OR: 3.26, 95% CI 2.23–4.76). After gender stratification, the association between mild cognitive impairment with sarcopenia in male is not significant, while is still significant in female. While the association between moderate/severe cognitive impairment is independently associated with sarcopenia in both male and female. Conclusions The prevalence rates of sarcopenia, mild cognitive impairment, moderate/severe cognitive impairment among the communities aged 50 or older in western China were 19.31%, 9.9% and 3.2%, respectively. Cognitive impairment was significantly associated with sarcopenia with a dosage effect, especially in female.

Background: The association between sarcopenia severity and fall risk remains underresearched at present. Accordingly, this study was developed to evaluate the relationship between sarcopenic status and prior fall incidence in a multi-ethnic group of middle-aged and older community-dwelling adults in western China. Methods: In total, this cross-sectional analysis incorporated data from 4,500 individuals (2873 female, 1627 male; mean age 62.4 ± 8.3 years). Grip strength, gait speed, and skeletal muscle mass index values were analyzed for all participants, and the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 consensus criteria were leveraged to assess sarcopenia status in these individuals. Prior fall history was defined by any incidents in which an individual unintentionally came to rest on the floor within the past year. The association between sarcopenia status and fall history was examined through a binary logistic regression approach, with P < 0.05 as the threshold for significance. Results: Of the individuals included in this study cohort 3,367 (74.8%) were free of sarcopenia, 107 (2.4%) exhibited pre-sarcopenia, 408 (9.1%) exhibited non-severe sarcopenia, and the remaining 618 (13.7%) exhibited severe sarcopenia. Previous fall incidence was reported for 8.9% of study cohort members, and this history of prior falls was significantly higher among older adults relative to younger individuals. A significant link between sarcopenia and fall risk was observed when using a model that was fully adjusted for age, ethnicity, marital status, osteoarthrosis, gastrointestinal disease, diabetes, history of stroke, hypertension, depression score, and SPMSQ score (OR=1.41, 95%CI: (1.07-1.85), P=0.014), whereas this same relationship was not observed for individuals with mild sarcopenia or pre-sarcopenia. Conclusions: Severe sarcopenia, as defined per the AWGS2019 criteria, was associated with a significantly higher risk of falls in this multi-ethnic cohort of middle-aged and older adults from western China, whereas this increased fall risk was not evident for individuals with mild sarcopenia or pre-sarcopenia.

Objective: Sarcopenia is a condition associated with progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function resulting in substantial negative health outcomes and disability in older adults. The present study was designed to identify risk factors associated with sarcopenia incidence in various ethnic groups in Western China based upon the Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia 2019 (AWGS2019) criteria in various ethnic groups in Western China and to explore the relationship between sarcopenia and vitamin D levels. Study design: A cross-sectional study of individuals that were 50 years of age or older (n = 4236) from the West China Health and Aging Trend (WCHAT) study. Primary outcome and measures: An InBody 770 instrument was used for bioimpedance-based analyses of muscle mass, while a digital grip strength dynamometer was used for handgrip strength-based measurements of muscle strength. Physical performance was assessed based upon gait speed over 4 m. Other secondary variables were additionally analyzed as potentially relevant risk factors. Results: Sarcopenia affected an estimated 22.45% of studied individuals who were 50 years of age or older, with respective incidence rates in the < 60, 60–64, 65–79, and ≥80 age groups of 11.78%,19.44%, 32.65%, and 67.97%. Rates in males and females were 26.66% and 20.05%, respectively. In males, a significant difference in vitamin D levels was detected when comparing individuals with and without sarcopenia, although no such relationship was detected in females. Following adjustment for confounding variables, binary logistic regression analyses revealed that inadequate vitamin D was able to independently predict sarcopenia risk only in males (OR=1.875,95%CI: 1.109-3.169, P=0.019). Conclusions: Among middle-aged and older adults of multiple ethnicities in western China, we found that inadequate vitamin D was an independent predictor of sarcopenia risk specifically in males.