Abstract
Fruit and vegetable consumption may protect against sarcopenia but there are no studies on this topic from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Thus, we assessed this association among older adults from six LMICs. Community-based cross-sectional data of the Study on Global Aging and Adult Health were analyzed. Sarcopenia was defined as the presence of low skeletal muscle mass based on indirect population formula, and either slow gait or low handgrip strength. Quintiles of vegetable and fruit consumption were created based on the number of servings consumed on a typical day. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted. The sample consisted of 14,585 individuals aged ≥65 years (mean (SD) age 72.6 (11.4) years; 55% females). Adjusted analyses showed that overall, compared to the lowest quintile (Q1), the highest quintile (Q5) of fruit consumption was associated with a 40% lower odds for sarcopenia (OR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.42−0.84) but this association was largely driven by the strong association among females (e.g., Q5 vs. Q1 OR = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.24−0.73), with no significant associations found among males. Vegetable consumption was not significantly associated with sarcopenia. Future studies of longitudinal design may shed light on whether increasing fruit consumption among older females in LMICs may reduce risk for sarcopenia.
Highlights
IntroductionSarcopenia is an age-related disease characterized by a progressive loss of muscle mass and function, and is one of the most prominent physiological changes associated with aging [1]
Sarcopenia is an age-related disease characterized by a progressive loss of muscle mass and function, and is one of the most prominent physiological changes associated with aging [1].Nutrients 2020, 12, 706; doi:10.3390/nu12030706 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrientsFor example, between age 40 and 80 years, total skeletal muscle mass declines by 30%–50% [2].Multifactorial environmental and genetic factors [3] are likely to be implicated in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia [4]
We found that fruit consumption is overall significantly associated with lower odds for sarcopenia among adults aged ≥65 years in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but that this association was only found among females
Summary
Sarcopenia is an age-related disease characterized by a progressive loss of muscle mass and function, and is one of the most prominent physiological changes associated with aging [1]. Multifactorial environmental and genetic factors [3] (e.g., low grade chronic inflammation, hormonal changes, oxidative stress, inactivity, diet, age-related chronic diseases) are likely to be implicated in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia [4]. Sarcopenia is highly prevalent in the general population with its prevalence among people aged ≥60 years estimated to be around 10% [5]. Identifying the risk factors for sarcopenia is important as it is associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes such as falls, fractures, dependency, use of hospital services, institutionalization, poor quality of life, as well as higher mortality [7,8]. It is imperative to identify potentially modifiable risk factors for this condition
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