Factors Contributing to Sarcopenia among Community-dwelling Older Korean Adults

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of sarcopenia and its associated factors in Koreans, who were 65 years of age or older. Methods: Data were from the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The appendicular skeletal muscle mass was measured by a dual x-ray absorptiometry in 770 men and 1,000 women. We defined sarcopenia as appendicular skeletal muscle mass/weight*100(%) less than 2 standard deviations below the mean for gender specific young, healthy reference populations. Health and nutritional factors were compared in participants with and without sarcopenia. Results: The prevalence of sarcopenia was 6.6% for men and 9.4% for women. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age, cancer, hypertension, and asthma were significantly associated with sarcopenia in men. However, in women, only one factor, current job, was significantly associated with sarcopenia. Conclusion: Sarcopenia was significantly associated with age, chronic disease, and current job in Korean elders. These results suggest that chronic disease and limited physical activity should be further investigated for their association with sarcopenia.

Sex-Associated Differences in the Handgrip Strength of Elderly Individuals

“…According to the simple difference test, the drinking rate among elderly men was higher than that among normal-strength men, although the difference was ultimately not significant. Previous studies that examined the relationship between drinking and grip strength have not shown consistent results (Bai et al, 2016; Kim, Kim, & Yu, 2014; Oh et al, 2017). Alcohol consumption appears to play a protective role against aging-related muscle strength loss after adjusting for confounding factors; however, this may also be explained by the absence of chronic illness, good health status, or good economic status of those who drink alcohol.…”

<p>Prevalence of Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults According to Simplified Algorithms for Sarcopenia Consensus Based on Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia</p>

“…The prevalence of sarcopenia among communitydwelling older adults (770 men and 1000 women, aged >65 years) surveyed using the 2010-2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was 6.6% in men and 9.4% in women. 13 In that study, sarcopenia was diagnosed based on a value derived by dividing the appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM), determined by dualenergy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), by weight and multiplied by 100. In general, muscle mass is measured by DEXA, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and BIA.…”

Factors Affecting Sarcopenia in Korean Adults by Age Groups

“…Sarcopenia is recognized as a problem of aging, and most studies are conducted in the elderly [12,13]. However, the prevalence of sarcopenia is 15%, 25%, 36%, and 38% among the individuals in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s, respectively [14].…”