Objective: To evaluate glucose metabolism characteristics in middle-aged and elderly sarcopenia patients with type 2 diabetes.
Methods: Data were collected from a multicenter, cross-sectional survey study. Eligible patients aged 50 years or older with a previous diagnosis of type 2 diabetes were recruited from the endocrinology department of nine different hospitals in Beijing, China. All participants were grouped into a probable sarcopenia group with low muscle strength and a nonsarcopenia group with normal muscle strength according to the recommendations from EWGSOP2 (2018). Body composition, glucose metabolism, laboratory and nutritional index were compared between two groups.
Results: A total of 1125 diabetic participants were included, with 405 in probable sarcopenia group and 720 in nonsarcopenia control group. Compared to the controls, the probable sarcopenia participants were older and had lower waist-to-hip ratio and BMI, higher fasting plasma glucose level and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate, and lower bone mineral content, basal metabolic rate, fatless upper arm circumference, appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) and muscle quality in both men and women. The prevalence of low muscle mass was obviously elevated in probable sarcopenia group in both sexes (men: 11.0% vs. 25.4%, women: 6.8% vs. 19.1%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that aged, male sex, low BMI, increased HbA1c, diabetic nephropathy and decreased serum albumin level were risk factors associated with low muscle strength in diabetes patients.
Conclusions: Sarcopenic diabetic patients were older and had lower BMI, worse nutritional status and glucose metabolism, decreased renal function and reduced muscle quality and mass with a greater likelihood of osteoporosis. Clinically, diabetic aged patients should receive an assessment on muscle strength and muscle quality to optimize their treatment program.
Q. He: None. L. Guo: None.
