Phase angle as a novel indicator of sarcopenic obesity in patients undergoing hemodialysis

BackgroundSarcopenia and obesity are two abnormal body composition phenotypes, and sarcopenic obesity (SO) is characterized by both low skeletal muscle mass (sarcopenia) and high adiposity (obesity). SO negatively influences the clinical status of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the studies exploring the prevalence and clinical effects of SO in COPD patients are limited. Our study aimed to elucidate the prevalence and impact of SO on COPD patients.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, the pulmonary function, St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire, exercise tolerance, body composition, and serum levels of resistin and TNF-α were assessed in 198 COPD patients. The clinical value of serum resistin and TNF-α for predicting SO in patients with COPD was evaluated.ResultsIn the 198 patients with COPD, the prevalence rates of sarcopenia, obesity, and SO in COPD patients were 27.27%, 29.8%, and 9.6%, respectively. Patients with SO experienced more severe symptoms of dyspnea and worse health related quality of life. The expression of resistin increased in patients with SO compared to other patients. The AUC value of serum resistin level for predicting SO was 0.870 (95% CI: 0.799–0.940). BMI (OR: 1.474, 95% CI: 1.124–1.934) and resistin (OR: 1.001, 95% CI: 1.000-1.002) levels were independent risk factors of SO in patients with COPD in Multivariate analysis.ConclusionThe prevalence rates of SO in COPD patients was 9.6%. COPD accompanied by SO is significantly associated with worse pulmonary function and poor physical performance. Serum resistin may be a potential adjunct for predicting SO in COPD patients.

ObjectiveTo explore the association between intracellular water (ICW) and sarcopenic obesity in patients undergoing chronic haemodialysis (HD).MethodsA multicentre, cross-sectional study of 3354 adult chronic HD patients was conducted in 20 haemodialysis centres from June 1, 2021, to August 30, 2021. The diagnosis of sarcopenic obesity was made according to the revised Asian Working Group’s definition of sarcopenia combined with obesity per the body fat percentage definition. Body composition was evaluated by a body composition monitor using bioimpedance spectroscopy. Multiple logistic regression models, stratified analyses, interactive analyses, and receiver-operating characteristic analyses were conducted.ResultsA total of 752 patients were diagnosed with sarcopenic obesity among 3354 participants. The patients were grouped by sex-specific ICW median levels, and the prevalence of sarcopenic obesity was significantly higher in the low ICW group than in the high ICW group (41.3%vs 3.0%). Decreased ICW was significantly associated with sarcopenic obesity. The association remained statistically significant even after adjusting for dialysis vintage, age, body mass index, biochemical indicators, and various medical histories. The odds ratios of the low ICW group were much higher than those of the high ICW group in both males and females (P for trend < 0.001). The association was stable across subgroups, and the interaction analysis showed that age, body mass index and history of diabetes had interactive roles in the association between ICW and sarcopenic obesity (P for interaction < 0.05). Furthermore, the ICW cut-off values for identifying sarcopenic obesity were 19.1 kg and 14.5 kg for males and females, respectively.ConclusionDecreased ICW was an independent risk factor for sarcopenic obesity in chronic HD patients. The measurement of ICW by bioimpedance spectroscopy might be a non-invasive and valid means for identifying the risk of future sarcopenic obesity in HD patients.

Sarcopenic obesity (SO) in patients with gastrointestinal cancer is associated with a poor prognosis. We aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of SO in patients with gastrointestinal cancer, as well as the diagnostic cut-off value of SO in patients with gastrointestinal cancer among Chinese population. We conducted a consecutive cohort study. Between January 2017 and January 2019, 289 patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer were included in our study. Skeletal muscle area, total fat area, and subcutaneous fat area were measured by CT scan. All patients were followed up for 5 years. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were adopted to determine the cut-off values of visceral fat obesity for the prediction of sarcopenia. Based on the cut-off values, patients with sarcopenia combined with visceral fat obesity were divided into the SO group, and the others were divided into the non-sarcopenic obesity (NSO) group. Kaplan-Meier curves and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were employed to explore the associations of body composition profiles with 5-year overall survival and disease-specific survival. Obtained from Youden's Index for ROC for the prediction of 5-year survival, skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) ≤40.02 cm2/m2 with VFA ≥ 126.30 cm2 in men and SMI ≤32.05 cm2/m2 with VFA ≥72.42 cm2 in women indicate a risk of poor prognosis in patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. Patients with SO had poorer 5-year overall survival (OS) than patients with NSO (6.74% vs. 82.84%, p < 0.001), and poorer 5-year DFS (6.74% vs. 81.82%, p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, we found that the long-term mortality risk was approximately 13-fold higher among patients in the SO group compared to those with no conditions. Preoperative assessment of SO is useful not only for monitoring nutritional status but also for predicting 5-year OS in gastrointestinal cancer patients.

Prevalence of sarcopenic obesity in patients with diabetes and adverse outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Prevalence of sarcopenic obesity in patients with gastric cancer and effects on adverse outcomes: A meta-analysis and systematic review

Background: Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is a medical and functional state characterized by the coexistence of excessive adipose tissue and sarcopenia inside an individual. Recent epidemiological studies suggest a rising prevalence of SO in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) probably due to the conducive environment resulting from adipose tissue dysfunction and muscle wasting accelerated by insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and altered protein metabolism. Individuals with SO may have higher risk of experiencing falls, frailty, and disabilities due to compromised musculoskeletal integrity, gait abnormalities, and reduced functional capacity. The primary study objective was to determine the prevalence and predictors of SO among older adults with a history of DM. The secondary objective was to assess the association of falls, frailty, and functional disability with SO in patients with DM.Methodology: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the nationally representative Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) Wave 1, focusing on individuals aged 60 and above, with an emphasis on diabetes. SO was assessed using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria. Propensity score matching (PSM), logistic regression, and mediation analysis were used to explore relationships between diabetes, SO, and health outcomes (falls, frailty, and disabilities).Results: Among 31,902 participants aged 60 and above, 14.26% had diabetes, and 17.67% of those with diabetes exhibited SO. Female gender (aOR = 2.63) and urban residence (aOR = 1.40) were significantly associated with higher odds of SO in individuals with diabetes. PSM analysis revealed a 9.0% higher likelihood of SO in older adults with DM than those without DM. SO was further linked to increased risk of falls, frailty, and various levels of activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) disabilities, with significant mediation effects ranging from 3.67% to 45.81%.Conclusions: Diabetes substantially increases the risk of SO and associated functional disability with the risk of falls in older adults. Standard diabetes care should integrate health promotion especially nutrition to mitigate the risk of SO-linked functional disability and falls.

Clinical screening for sarcopenic obesity in patients with end-stage knee osteoarthritis

Sarcopenia is the most common complication of cirrhosis and adversely affects quality of life and outcomes before, during, and after liver transplantation. We studied predictors of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in patients with cirrhosis undergoing liver transplant (LT) evaluation. A retrospective analysis of 207 adult cirrhotic patients that underwent LT from January 2008 to December 2013 was performed at our institution. Two hundred seven patients were evaluated, 68% were male with a mean age of 54 ± 8 years. The most common etiology of cirrhosis was alcoholic liver disease (38.6%), followed by chronic hepatitis C (38.2%), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) (21.7%), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (24.6%). The mean body mass index of the cohort was of 30.1 ± 5.7 kg/m(2) . Forty-eight percent of these patients were obese. Of the 207 patients, 88% had computed tomographic (CT) scans within 90 days before transplant; of these, 59% had sarcopenia found during LT evaluation. Of the patients with pretransplant sarcopenia, 59 had CT scan at 6 months posttransplant and 56 (95%) remained sarcopenic. Of the 56 patients who had sarcopenia at 6 months, 31 had available CT scans at 1 year, and 100% persisted with sarcopenia. These 31 subjects had a mean skeletal muscle index of 35 at 6 months and 36 at 1 year. SO was found in 41.7% of our patients. On multivariable regression analysis, obesity and age were found to be independently associated with pretransplant sarcopenia after controlling for gender and alcohol liver disease diagnosis (P = 0.00001, odds ratio [OR] 0.22, and P = 0.008, OR 2.0, respectively). A multivariable logistic regression analysis found that NASH as cause of cirrhosis and model of end-stage liver disease score are independent predictors of sarcopenic obesity after controlling for age, gender, alcoholic liver disease diagnosis, and HCC (P = 0.014 and 0.038, respectively; 95% confidence interval, 1.44-25.26 and 1.00-1.15, respectively; OR 6.03, 1.08, respectively). Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity is seen in a significant number of patients with cirrhosis undergoing LT evaluation. Sarcopenia progresses after LT initially and does not recover at least within the first year after surgery. Obesity is an independent predictor of pretransplant sarcopenia and NASH was associated with 6-fold increased risk of having sarcopenic obesity in cirrhotic patients in our cohort.

Prevalence and prognostic value of sarcopenic obesity in patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: One of the most prominent extrapulmonary manifestations in patients with chronic respiratory disease is changes in body weight and composition. However, the frequency and functional consequences of low appendicular lean mass (ALM) or sarcopenic obesity (SO) in patients with asthma are largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to assess the frequency and functional consequences of low appendicular lean mass index (ALMI) and SO in patients with asthma. Methods: A retrospectively analyzed cross-sectional study was conducted in 687 patients with asthma (60% female, 58 ± 13 years, FEV₁ 76 ± 25% pred) referred for comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). Body composition, pulmonary function, exercise capacity, quadriceps muscle function, and quality of life were assessed. Patients were classified as presenting low ALMI according to the 10th percentiles of age-sex-body mass index (BMI)-specific reference values and as having SO according to the diagnostic procedure proposed by the 2022 ESPEN/EASO consensus. In addition, clinical outcomes between patients with normal and low ALMI or with and without SO were compared. Results: The frequency of patients classified as low ALMI was 19%, whereas 45% of the patients were obese. Among the obese patients, 29% had SO. In patients with normal weight, those with low ALMI were younger and had worse pulmonary function, exercise capacity and quadriceps muscle function than those with normal ALMI (all p < 0.05). Overweight patients with low ALMI presented poorer pulmonary function and quadriceps muscle function (both strength and total work capacity). In obese class I patients, those with low ALMI showed lower quadriceps strength and maximal oxygen uptake acquired during cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Both male and female patients with SO showed lower quadriceps muscle function and reduced maximal exercise capacity compared to non-SO asthma patients. Conclusion: Approximately one in five asthma patients presented low ALM when age-sex-BMI-specific ALMI cutoffs were applied. Obesity is common among patients with asthma referred for PR. Among the obese patients, a significant proportion presented SO. Low ALM and SO were associated with worse functional outcomes.

Sarcopenic obesity substantially affects the recovery of physical function in patients with stroke. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between changes in skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and skeletal muscle quality (SMQ) and sarcopenic obesity diagnosed using the Japanese Working Group on Sarcopenic Obesity (JWGS) diagnostic criteria in patients with stroke who undergo rehabilitation. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between sarcopenic obesity and changes in SMM and SMQ in patients with stroke who undergo rehabilitation. Patients with stroke admitted to a rehabilitation ward in a single center in Japan were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. The inclusion criteria were age 40-75 years and hospitalization for rehabilitation therapy due to stroke. The exclusion criteria were length of hospital stay <14 days and missing clinical data. Data were collected from medical records. Classification of sarcopenic obesity was based on the JWGS diagnostic criteria. The outcomes were the change in SMM and phase angle (PhA) from admission to discharge. Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between sarcopenic obesity and changes in SMM and PhA after adjustment for confounding factors. A total of 173 patients were analyzed. 8 patients (3 male and 5 female) were diagnosed with sarcopenic obesity using the JWGS criteria. Multiple regression analysis revealed that sarcopenic obesity was negatively associated with changes in SMM (β: -0.281, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.449 to -0.113, p < 0.001) and PhA (β: -0.189, 95% CI: -0.367 to -0.010, p = 0.038). Sarcopenic obesity is negatively associated with changes in SMM and SMQ in patients with stroke who undergo rehabilitation, highlighting the importance of evaluating sarcopenic obesity in patients with stroke from an early stage.

Diagnosis and prevalence of sarcopenic obesity in patients with colorectal cancer: A scoping review

Clinical screening and identification of sarcopenic obesity in adults with advanced knee osteoarthritis

Many people with overweight and obesity are affected by sarcopenia, which is represented by a phenotype known as sarcopenic obesity (SO), characterized by excessive body fat (BF), combined with reduced muscle mass and strength. In this population, it is vital to identify the factors associated with SO. With this aim in mind, we investigated the association between visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass and SO in patients with overweight or obesity in a nutritional setting. A total of 256 participants (23.8% female) with overweight or obesity were involved and completed a body composition assessment, including VAT mass, using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The sample was initially categorized according to whether the individual had the SO phenotype; they were then classified according to their VAT mass into three tertiles (lowest, medium, and highest). Among the 256 participants, who had a median body mass index (BMI) of 29.3 (interquartile range (IQR): 27.0-32.4) kg/m2 and a median age of 51.0 (IQR: 47.0-54.0) years, 32.4% were identified as having SO, and they displayed a higher median VAT mass (517.0 (IQR: 384.5-677.0) vs. 790.0 (IQR: 654.0-1007.0) g; p < 0.05). The logistic regression model that accounted for age, sex and BMI revealed that a higher VAT mass increases the risk of SO (odds ratio (OR) = 1.003; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.001-1.004; p < 0.05). In conclusion, VAT mass appears to be an independent factor associated with SO in people with overweight or obesity. However, due to the cross-sectional design, no information regarding any causality between higher VAT mass and SO can be provided. Additional longitudinal research in this direction should therefore be conducted.

Prevalence of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in patients with osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.