Low prealbumin levels are associated with sarcopenia in older men with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the serum levels of prealbumin and sarcopenia in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 582 older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Sarcopenia was defined based on the recently updated Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria. Appendicular skeletal muscle was measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Serum levels of prealbumin, hemoglobin, hemoglobin A1c, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 were also tested. Multivariate analyses were used to assess the association between prealbumin levels and sarcopenia, adjusted for potential confounders.Results: The overall prevalence of sarcopenia was 9%, of which 12% for men and 6% for women. Male participants with sarcopenia had lower prealbumin levels than those without sarcopenia (213 ± 72 versus 260 ± 56 mg/L, P < 0.001). The proportion of men with low prealbumin level (<170 mg/L) was significantly higher in individuals with sarcopenia than in those without (31% versus 6%, respectively). In a logistic regression model, after adjusting for all potential covariates, low prealbumin (odds ratio, 4.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.13–15.25; P = 0.03) was significantly associated with sarcopenia in men, but the relationship between prealbumin and sarcopenia was not found in women.Conclusion: Low prealbumin levels were associated with an increased risk for sarcopenia in older men with T2DM.