Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity among men aged 80 years and older in Beijing: Prevalence and its association with functional performance

Abstract

Aim: Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity are significant associative factors for functional impairment related to aging. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity, and their associations with functional status among men aged 80 years and older in Beijing.Methods: A total of 75 young healthy volunteers, and 101 older men aged 80 years and older participated in the present study. Demographic characteristics, anthropometry, skeletal muscle mass measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), 6-m gait speed and handgrip strength were collected. Relative appendicular skeletal muscle index (RASM) and percentage skeletal muscle index (SMI) were obtained. Results:Overall, the prevalence of sarcopenia was 45.7% by using RASM. By the weight-adjusted skeletal muscle index definition (SMI), the prevalence of sarcopenia was 53.2%. The prevalence of sarcopenic obesity was lower by using RASM than SMI (4.9% vs 11.5%, P < 0.05). When we compared the sarcopenia prevalence (%) in obese participants, it was also remarkably lower by using RASM (40.0%) than SMI (95.0%). By using either RASM or SMI, gait speed was of no significant difference among the pure sarcopenia group, pure obese group and sarcopenic obesity group (0.76 ± 0.27 vs 0.82 ± 0.37 vs 0.82 ± 0.27 m/s, P > 0.05, by RASM; 0.75 ± 0.25 vs 0.92 ± 0.27 vs 0.82 ± 0.35 m/s, P > 0.05 by SMI), respectively. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that thigh skeletal muscle mass was positively correlated with gait speed independently (β = 0.221, P = 0.011), and total body fat (β = −0.216, P = 0.002) and age (β = −0.524, P = 0.000) were negatively correlated with gait speed independently. Conclusions:The prevalence of sarcopenia is high either based on RASM or SMI among Chinese men aged 80 years and older. Functional limitations were significantly associated with older age, skeletal muscle mass and total body fat. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2014; 14 (Suppl. 1): 29-35.

Physical Activity and Sarcopenic Obesity: Definition, Assessment, Prevalence and Mechanism

“…Most studies used ALM index divided by height 2 <2.0 SDs [4,5,19,56] or ALM index divided by weight ≤2.0 SDs [8,20,21,57] using DXA to define sarcopenia. However, other studies used the lowest two quintiles of SMM divided by height 2 using BIA [22,23], handgrip strength lowest tertile [58,59] or walking speed ≤0.8 m/s [60]. To define obesity, some studies used BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 in men and women [51,59] or BMI >27.5 kg/m 2 in men [60], and others used different % body fat values of >27% in men and >38% in women [4], >28% in men and >35% in women [19], >30% in men and >40% in women [5,61] or the highest two quintiles of % body fat [22,23].…”

“…However, other studies used the lowest two quintiles of SMM divided by height 2 using BIA [22,23], handgrip strength lowest tertile [58,59] or walking speed ≤0.8 m/s [60]. To define obesity, some studies used BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 in men and women [51,59] or BMI >27.5 kg/m 2 in men [60], and others used different % body fat values of >27% in men and >38% in women [4], >28% in men and >35% in women [19], >30% in men and >40% in women [5,61] or the highest two quintiles of % body fat [22,23]. Instead of BMI or % body fat, some studies also used visceral fat area >100 cm 2 by CT scan [8], or waist circumference upper tertile [58], ≥90 cm in men and ≥85 cm in women [20,21,57] or >102 cm in men and >88 cm in women [56].…”

“…However, considering all studies together found above, the approximate average prevalence of SO in older adults is about 5–10%, and it is similar between men and women. In general, the SO prevalence is lower (3–8%) using height adjusted ALM index [4,5,60,61] compared with weight or BMI adjusted ALM index (6–10%) [20,21,56,57] in defining sarcopenia, as indicated earlier in the prevalence of sarcopenia [16,33,50]. Also, the SO prevalence is significantly higher in people aged ≥80 years, compared with that in older adults aged <80 years.…”

The Effects of Electrical Acupuncture and Essential Amino Acid Supplementation on Sarcopenic Obesity in Male Older Adults: A Randomized Control Study

“…In Beijing, a large-scale survey of elderly people in the community showed that many elderly people suffered from SO and that this clinical picture did not receive sufficient attention and treatment [24]. Thus great expenditures of money, resources, and materials are necessary in China to treat cardiovascular diseases and fractures caused by SO.…”

Calf circumference predicts mobility disability: A secondary analysis of the Mexican health and ageing study

“…Moreover, the BMI mean in the highest quartile of CC was in the range of obesity (>30 kg/m 2 ), supporting the association of a potential fatty infiltration of the muscles of the leg. High CC could reflect also a greater amount of subcutaneous fat in addition to fatty muscle infiltration, both favoring an inflammatory state that could explain those higher rates of disability [34]. On the other hand, edema could also be a marker of worsening health, and be reflected in a higher CC, however available evidence in younger adults points to the fact that calf swelling is not detected by measuring CC [35].…”