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BackgroundSarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity (SO) have a greater impact on the elderly. This study aimed to explore whether there were sex differences in the prevalence and adverse outcomes of sarcopenia and SO in community-dwelling elderly individuals in East China.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study that enrolled 213 males and 418 females aged > 65 years. Demographic characteristics, body composition, hand grip, gait speed, and indices of glucose and lipid metabolism were collected. Sarcopenia and SO were diagnosed using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria.Results(1) The prevalence of sarcopenia was 19.2% in males and 8.6% in females. The prevalence of SO was 7.0% in males and 2.4% in females. (2) In males, the odds ratios (ORs) of osteoporosis and dyslipidemia in the SO group were 4.21-fold and 4.15-fold higher than those in the normal group, respectively. In females, the ORs of osteoporosis and hyperglycemia in the SO group were 1.12-fold and 4.21-fold higher than those in the normal group.ConclusionsMales were more likely to be sarcopenic and to have SO than females using the AWGS criteria. Females with SO were more likely to have higher blood glucose, whereas males with SO were more likely to have osteoporosis and dyslipidemia.

Aims/hypothesis Recently, three groups independently reported that variation in MTNR1B, the gene encoding melatonin receptor 1B, was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, increased fasting plasma glucose and impaired insulin secretion in populations of European ancestry. In the present study, we investigated whether a single MTNR1B polymorphism was associated with type 2 diabetes in Han Chinese individuals, to elucidate whether this is a cross-populational effect. Methods The MTNR1B variant rs10830963 was genotyped in 1,165 type 2 diabetic patients and 1,105 normoglycaemic control individuals of southern Han Chinese ancestry who were residents of the metropolitan area of Shanghai. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes was calculated using a logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex and BMI. A possible association with fasting plasma glucose was analysed in the normoglycaemic control individuals using a multiple linear regression analysis with adjustments for age, sex and BMI. Results The genetic variant rs10830963 was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in our Han Chinese cohort (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.03-1.31, p=0.015). As previously described, the risk variant was also associated with increased fasting plasma glucose, showing an increase of 0.068 mmol/l (95% CI 0.036-0.100, p=4×10 −5 ) per risk allele. Conclusions/interpretation A common variant in the MTNR1B gene is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and increased fasting plasma glucose in Han Chinese, suggesting an important role for this polymorphism in populations of different ethnic and environmental backgrounds.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Shanghai, eastern China, to evaluate the prevalence of loss of muscle mass corresponding to sarcopenia in Chinese men and women and compare the results with the prevalence in other populations. We also analyzed the differences between men and women, and assessed the effect of lean mass and fat mass of different regions on bone mass. A total of 1766 men and 1778 women aged 18-96 years participated in this study. Bone mineral density of spine and femur, and lean mass and fat mass of several body regions were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Class 1 and class 2 sarcopenia were defined as the appendicular lean mass (ALM) index (ALM/height(2)) 1 and 2 standard deviations below the sex-specific means for young adults. Mean values for ALM index were 7.93 for men and 6.04 kg/m(2) for women, aged 18-40 years. The reference values for classes 1 and 2 sarcopenia were 7.01 and 6.08 kg/m(2) in men and 5.42 and 4.79 kg/m(2) in women. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 4.8% in women and 13.2% in men aged 70 years and older, which is lower than that in Caucasian populations, but the same as that in Japanese and Koreans in Asia. Men demonstrated greater declines in muscle mass with aging than women, partly due to the protective effect of fat mass on lean mass in women. Leg lean mass was the strongest factor on femur bone mass; however, trunk lean mass was the strongest factor on spine bone mass. Maintaining a healthy weight is important for the elderly in order to avoid osteoporosis and sarcopenia.