Abstract
The last decade has seen a new condition that describes the coexistence of obesity and sarcopenia, termed sarcopenic obesity (SO). We aimed to assess the prevalence of SO in overweight and obese treatment-seeking adult women and the association with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. A body composition assessment was conducted with an InBody bioimpedance analyser in 154 overweight and obese women referred to the Outpatient Clinic in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Beirut Arab University (BAU) in Lebanon, and 30 normal-weight participants of similar age. The overweight and obese patients were then categorized as being with or without sarcopenia. Thirty-one out of the 154 overweight or obese participants met the criteria for SO and displayed a significantly higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension than those without SO. Logistic regression analysis showed that SO increases the odds of having type 2 diabetes and hypertension by nearly 550% (odds ratio = 5.42, 95% confidence interval = 1.37–21.40, p < 0.05) after adjusting for central fat, eating habits, level of physical activity, and smoking. SO affects nearly 20% of treatment-seeking overweight and obese adult women. Moreover, SO seems to be strongly associated with type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
Highlights
The term sarcopenia was initially used to refer to the age-related progressive loss of lean mass and muscle strength, and is associated with chronic diseases and inflammation, and an increased mortality rate [1]
Cardio-metabolic disease in this study indicates the presence of any metabolic diseases based on self-reported diagnosis, either simultaneously or separately
The study sample included 184 women: 154 overweight or obese patients and 30 normal weight participants. The former group displayed a reduced appendicular lean mass (ALM)/body mass index (BMI) ratio (0.59 ± 0.10 vs. 0.73 ± 0.11; p < 0.001), whereas the two groups were similar in age (33.26 ± 14.65 vs. 30.03 ± 10.20 years; p = 0.149) (Table 1)
Summary
The term sarcopenia was initially used to refer to the age-related progressive loss of lean mass and muscle strength, and is associated with chronic diseases and inflammation, and an increased mortality rate [1]. Obesity is a condition defined as an excessive accumulation of fat in adipose tissue, and is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases, disability, and mortality [2]. The coexistence of both conditions is referred to as sarcopenic obesity (SO), with recent studies reporting that these conditions, when combined, may synergistically increase their effects on metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and mortality [3]. Definitions of sarcopenia in obesity, based only on lean mass and physical fitness, without accounting for body mass, may be strongly skewed for at least two reasons. Low physical fitness is more strongly associated with obesity than with sarcopenia [10]
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