Abstract
Background: Sarcopenia is characterized by low skeletal muscle mass and function, which is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and may even be related to adverse cardiovascular events and mortality. This study aimed to evaluate whether sarcopenia is related to electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities in a large sample of older adults.Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study based on the data collected during the Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) cohort study. Body composition was measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and muscle strength was measured using a digital dynamometer for each hand of every participant. A person who had low muscle strength, as well as low muscle mass was identified as having sarcopenia. The subjects were classified into three groups according to the Minnesota Code (MC) as major, minor ECG abnormalities and participants with no abnormalities ECG.Results: Of the 2,426 participants, 354 (14.6%) had major ECG abnormalities and 193 (8%) had minor ECG abnormalities. Sarcopenia was associated with an increased risk of major ECG abnormality in all models. After adjustment for confounders of CHD in full model, the OR for major ECG abnormality was 1.47 (95% CI 1.11–1.95) in those with sarcopenia. Low muscle strength and low muscle performance were both with an increased risk of major ECG abnormality in all models. Sarcopenia and low muscle strength increased 28% and 62% risk of any ECG abnormality in the full models [sarcopenia: 1.28(1.01–1.63), low muscle strength: 1.62(1.30–2.03)], respectively.Conclusions: This study showed that sarcopenia and its components are associated with ECG abnormalities in Iranian older people. Although some older adults have higher cardiovascular risk factors, these data showed that further factors such as sarcopenia may be identified as a particular risk factor for future cardiovascular events. Therefore, sarcopenia could be added to the screening of the older population to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.
Highlights
IntroductionSarcopenia, an age-related muscle disorder characterized by a decline in muscle mass and function [2], is a major risk factor of falling, disability and death in old adults
Aging is related to changes in body composition, including decreases in muscle mass and bone mass and an increase in adipose tissue, which can lead to cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders [1].Sarcopenia, an age-related muscle disorder characterized by a decline in muscle mass and function [2], is a major risk factor of falling, disability and death in old adults
Subjects in the group with minor or major ECG abnormalities were older and had fewer years of education and the prevalence of HTN and obesity was higher among these subjects (P < 0.05)
Summary
Sarcopenia, an age-related muscle disorder characterized by a decline in muscle mass and function [2], is a major risk factor of falling, disability and death in old adults. Some studies determined cardiometabolic risk factors and comorbidities that associated with CHD [5, 6]. The nonmodifiable factors such age, sex, race, family history, and modifiable risk factors include obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes are traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors [5]. Sarcopenia is characterized by low skeletal muscle mass and function, which is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and may even be related to adverse cardiovascular events and mortality. This study aimed to evaluate whether sarcopenia is related to electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities in a large sample of older adults
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