Lee Smith1, Guillermo F López Sánchez2, Nicola Veronese3,4, Pinar Soysal5, Karel Kostev6, Louis Jacob7,8, Hans Oh9, Mark A Tully10, Laurie Butler1, Ali Davod Parsa11,12, Soo Young Hwang13, Jae Il Shin14, Ai Koyanagi7,15. 1. Centre for Health Performance and Wellbeing, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK. 2. Division of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain. 3. Chair for Biomarkers of Chronic Diseases, Biochemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia. 4. Department of Internal Medicine, Geriatrics Section, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy. 5. Department of Geriatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey. 6. Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany. 7. Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Dr. Antoni Pujadas, 42, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. 8. Faculty of Medicine, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France. 9. Suzanne Dworak Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. 10. School of Medicine, Ulster University, Londonderry, BT48 7JL, UK. 11. School of Allied Health, Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine and Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK. 12. , Cambridge, UK. 13. Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 06273, South Korea. 14. Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, South Korea. shinji@yuhs.ac. 15. ICREA, Pg. Lluis Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia has been associated with a lower quality of life (QoL). However, studies on this association from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are scarce. AIMS: To examine the association between sarcopenia and QoL, in a large nationally representative sample of older adults from six LMICs. METHODS: Cross-sectional, community-based data from the WHO study on global ageing and adult health (SAGE) were analysed. Non-severe sarcopenia was defined as having low skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and weak handgrip strength but no slow gait speed, while severe sarcopenia was defined as having low SMM, weak handgrip strength, and slow gait speed. QoL was assessed with the 8-item WHO QoL instrument (range 0-100) with higher scores representing better QoL. Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Data on 14,585 people aged ≥ 65 years were analyzed [mean (SD) age 72.6 (11.5) years; 55.0% female]. After adjustment for potential confounders, compared to no sarcopenia, severe sarcopenia was associated with a significant - 3.37 points [95% CI - 5.56, - 1.18] lower QoL score. Non-severe sarcopenia was not significantly associated with lower QoL. DISCUSSION: The association between sarcopenia and QoL observed in our study may be explained by factors such as functional impairment and disability related with sarcopenia. CONCLUSIONS: In this large representative sample of older adults from multiple LMICs, compared to no sarcopenia, only severe sarcopenia was associated with a significantly lower QoL score. Interventions to prevent or manage sarcopenia among older adults in LMICs may contribute to better QoL in this population.
BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia has been associated with a lower quality of life (QoL). However, studies on this association from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are scarce. AIMS: To examine the association between sarcopenia and QoL, in a large nationally representative sample of older adults from six LMICs. METHODS: Cross-sectional, community-based data from the WHO study on global ageing and adult health (SAGE) were analysed. Non-severe sarcopenia was defined as having low skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and weak handgrip strength but no slow gait speed, while severe sarcopenia was defined as having low SMM, weak handgrip strength, and slow gait speed. QoL was assessed with the 8-item WHO QoL instrument (range 0-100) with higher scores representing better QoL. Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Data on 14,585 people aged ≥ 65 years were analyzed [mean (SD) age 72.6 (11.5) years; 55.0% female]. After adjustment for potential confounders, compared to no sarcopenia, severe sarcopenia was associated with a significant - 3.37 points [95% CI - 5.56, - 1.18] lower QoL score. Non-severe sarcopenia was not significantly associated with lower QoL. DISCUSSION: The association between sarcopenia and QoL observed in our study may be explained by factors such as functional impairment and disability related with sarcopenia. CONCLUSIONS: In this large representative sample of older adults from multiple LMICs, compared to no sarcopenia, only severe sarcopenia was associated with a significantly lower QoL score. Interventions to prevent or manage sarcopenia among older adults in LMICs may contribute to better QoL in this population.
Authors: O Ortiz; M Russell; T L Daley; R N Baumgartner; M Waki; S Lichtman; J Wang; R N Pierson; S B Heymsfield Journal: Am J Clin Nutr Date: 1992-01 Impact factor: 7.045
Authors: Stephanie A Studenski; Katherine W Peters; Dawn E Alley; Peggy M Cawthon; Robert R McLean; Tamara B Harris; Luigi Ferrucci; Jack M Guralnik; Maren S Fragala; Anne M Kenny; Douglas P Kiel; Stephen B Kritchevsky; Michelle D Shardell; Thuy-Tien L Dam; Maria T Vassileva Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2014-05 Impact factor: 6.053